
il 



THE 



RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND CHARACTER 



¥ASHIIGTOI. 



BY E. C. M'G U I R E. 



"A Christian is the highest style of man." — YouNa. 



SeconTi SHCtfon. 



NEW YORK: 

HARPER & BROTHERS, PUBLISHERS, 

* 82 CLIFF STREET. 

18 4 7. 



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[Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1836, by 

Harper & Brothers, 
in theCIerK's Office of the Soatliern District of New-York.] 



PREFACE. 



The author would here give a brief explanation of 
the motives which have led him to engage in the 
work now submitted to the public. 

The character of Washington, on which time has 
fixed its authentic and unequivocal seal, is justly con- 
sidered the property of his country, and, in a measure, 
of the civilized world. They may fairly claim him as 
their own, for whom, when living, he hazarded his 
all — his honour, fortune, and life ! for whom he ever 
cherished anxious cares — for whom he toiled and suf- 
fered. Nor are they without a title, who, partaking of 
our common nature, shared his philanthropic sympa- 
thies, and earnest prayers. 

Such a reputation is a treasure to mankind which 
never can be told. Blessings innumerable descend up- 
on the favoured people who rest under its shadow. It 
sheds upon them peace, security, and credit. They 
shine in its hght, and derive from it, directly and indi- 
rectly, many eminent advantages. 

But some of the choicest benefits of so rare a charac- 
ter, are found in its influence upon the principles and 
conduct of those, who are taught to regard the same 



« 



EFACE. 



with attention and reverence. A virtuous example is 
very powerful to persuade and control the human mind. 
Abundant evidence have we of this, in the happy fruits 
of that ascendancy which has marked the honoured 
name before us. The good effects which have flowed 
to our land from the moral weight of his excellent life, 
cannot be justly estimated. These effects have been in- 
creasing with the rapid growth of our country, and must 
continue to multiply as she advances in numbers and 
intelligence. Nor Avill the limits of his own country 
confine the virtue of his high example. It has already 
extended in its salutary efiicacy to other cHmes, and no 
doubt will prevail wherever goodness is revered, or great- 
ness respected. 

As few men have acted a more important or spirit- 
stirring part in the drama of human life, so few have 
awakened a deeper interest, or a more rigid scrutiny of 
their principles, motives, and actions. The inquiry, 
prompted by an ardent sympathy, has been attended by 
much diligent research, severe analysis, and patient 
reflection. Whatever he thought, or said, or did, has 
been examined, considered, and weighed, with a solici- 
tude and caution, prompted by the wish to understand 
aright, and fitly appreciate, the character of one so emi- 
nently useful to his kind, and signally owned of Heav- 
en. The fruit of this investigation is so well known, 
that it is scarcely necessary to add, that the trial to 
which his fame has been subjected, has issued in the 
universal admission, that greatness and goodness at- 
tach to his character, in a degree, seldom found to exist 
in the same human being. 



PREFACE. V 

It appears, however, to the writer, that among the 
various traits distinguishing so rare a personage, the 
attention of the public has been rather partially distri- 
buted. The quahties of the hero and statesman, uni- 
versally attractive as they are, have been those on 
which the most have chiefly dehghted to dwell. Here 
they have lingered, with fixed and unwearied admi- 
ration. In the mean time other important peculi- 
arities of disposition and habit, have been suffered to 
pass unnoticed, or with only a reluctant and impatient 
glance. Among these may be especially numbered the 
religious views and character of this illustrious man. 
These, indeed, have not been entirely unobserved by 
the public, and no doubt have much engaged the atten- 
tion of some. But they have not shared a due pro- 
portion of interest, or their merited pre-eminence in the 
constellation of his virtues. 

It is well known, that distinguished persons in our 
land, have evinced a strange anxiety to impress the 
world with a belief that the Father of his Country was 
sceptical at heart, in regard to the Divine Authority of the 

Bible Instances of this singular zeal could 

readily be specified, if it was expedient to do so. The 
remarkable fact^ however, is within the recollection of 
many, that a public discussion took place some few 
years ago, in one of our principal cities, in reference to 
this very question — Washington's faith in Christianity 
being boldly denied by one individual, and as positively 
affirmed by another.* 

* This public debate was held in the City of New- York, and 
conducted by Mr. Owen, of radical memory, and Mr. Bachelor. 



vi froEfACE. 

Without attaching any undue importance to the judg- 
ment of any mere man, in reference to the Holy Scrip- 
tures, or indeed on any other subject, the writer is yet 
impressed with the beUef that a useful service may be 
rendered the cause of religion and morality, by placing 
the question of Washington's rehgious opinions and con- 
duct, in a satisfactory point of view. The solicitude 
which others have manifested to perplex and mislead 
inquirers, may be considered a justification of any effort, 
fairly made, to disabuse the public mind of false impres- 
sions. The truth being once estabhshed, it may then 
pass for what it is worth, and every man be left to draw 
his own conclusions, and place upon the result such an 
estimate as he may think fit. 

This humble performance is presented by the author 
to his fellow-citizens, without any of the pomp of literary 
pretence, or the hope of literary reward. He has but 
one design in contemplation, as the fruit of his labour, 
and that is, the advancement of true religion and virtue 
in his native land ; and with this cherished view, does 
he lay upon the altar of his country, this offering of a 
single heart, if not of an accomplished pen. 



Fredericksburgh, Virginia, Sept. 15, 1S38. 



ADVERTISEMENT 



The author has been at much pains to acquire the 
requisite materials for his present undertaking. To this 
end, he flatters himself that the means within his reach, 
are unusually ample. Besides the ordinary sources of 
information, he has enjoyed the advantages of access to 
some, not heretofore thrown open to others. His main 
dependance, however, has been on such authorities as 
are familiar to all, though not before so collected and 
combined into one harmonious whole, as to give them 
their just influence on the public mind. It may be ad- 
ded, that in search of matter, there has been a studious 
refusal of whatever could be regarded as apocryphal or 
fanciful — care being taken to employ only such facts as 
can be proved authentic, or bear the indubitable marks 
of being so. 

As there will be in the body of the work, the usual 
references to important authorities, it will not be neces- 
sary to enumerate them here. This may, however, be 
the place to say, that in consequeace of the miscella- 
neous, and in some respects desultory character which 
the work has assumed, the author has not encumbered 



VIU ADVERTISEMENT. 

his pages, or obstructed the progress of his readers, with 
a reference, in every instance, of a quoted article. In- 
deed it was not possible always to decide on whose 
authority particular facts depend for their claim to con- 
fidence. Through so many hands have they passed, 
regarded alv/ays as common property, that their pater- 
nity can only be appropriated to a universally credited 
tradition. 



CONTENTS. 

Introduction, 13 

CHAPTER I. 

y Religious education of Washington — Record of his birth and bap.- 
/ tism — Sponsors — Solemn tows of sponsors — Parental instruc- 
tion — Death of his father — The untamed colt — George is sent 
to Westmoreland — Pope's Creek Church — Goes to school-^ 
Peaceable disposition — Beloved by his companions — Adopts 
sundry rules of conduct — Is anxious to enter the British navy—- 
Affection for his mother causes him to decline — Leaves West- 
moreland — Resides with his brother Lawrence at Mount Ver- 
noi:;, and with his mother near Fredericksburg — Religious and 
moral instruction — Familiar with a pious work, "Contempla- 
tions, Moral and Divine, by Sir Matthew Hale" — Extracts 
from the volume, 29 

CHAPTER IL 

His religious opinions — Northern journal — Letter to the State 
Governours — Judge Boudinot's opinion of his faith — Farewell 
address — Religion and morality essential to the welfare of 
mankind — French infidelity — The contagion thereof reaches 
America — Extracts from Robert Hall, Dr. Wardlaw, and Dr. 
Chalmers — Bequest of a Bible — Testimony of Chief Justice 
Marshall, 69 

CHAPTER IIL 

His views of Divine Providence — Reflections on the doctrine — His 
belief in a particular Providence, firm and unqualified — Extracts 
from his letters, declaring his convictions on the subject, ... 99 

CHAPTER IV. 

His devotional habits — Remarks on the duty of prayer — Prayers 
at Fort Necessity — Performed the funeral service at the inter- 
ment of General Braddock — Conducts the devotions of his 
troops during the French and Indian war — Urges Governour 
Dinwiddie to appoint a chaplain to his regiment — Extracts from 
I|.is diary— Holds the office of vestryman in his parish-r-The 



X Intents. 

church in a state of decay — Instrumental in building a new one 
— A constant attendant — A communicant — Testimony of Rev. 
Lee Massey— Reverential deportment in the house of God — 
Visitors not suffered to keep him from the church — Rigid ob- 
servance of a day of fasting, humiliation, and prayer — Visit to 
Philadelphia — Attendance on public worship — Order issued the 
day after he took command of the American army — Extracts 
from the Orderly Book — After the war, worships at Christ 
church, Alexandria — Renders his pew liable for the clergyman's 
salary — National convention — Dr. Frankhn's motion for the 
appointment of a chaplain — Infidel objection — Chaplain appoint- 
ed — Washington's gratification — His attendance on public wor- 
ship whilst President of the United States — Attended at Christ 
Church — Bishop White the rector — After his retirement wor- 
ships again in Christ church, Alexandria — Habits of private de- 
votion — Remarks of Dr. Mason, 134 

CHAPTER V. 

His respect for the Sabbath — Reflections on the Day by Dr. 
Dwight, Dr. Rush, and Chief Justice Hale — Washington in 
Connecticut — Stopped on Sunday morning by an informing offi- 
cer — Commends the officer, and explains the cause of his travel- 
ling on the Lord's Day — Whilst President, would not receive 
company on the Sabbath — Speaker Trumbull alone admitted — 
After church, spent the evening in reading a sermon, or the Holy 
Scriptures, to Mrs. Washington, 171 

CHAPTER VI. 

His respect for the clergy — Solicits Governour Dinwiddie to ap- 
point a chaplain — The Governour oflfended at his importunity — 
Renews his application to the president of the council — Letter 
to Dr. Cooper, president of King's College, New- York — Instruc- 
tions to General Arnold — Letter in behalf of the Rev. Mr. Kirk- 
land, missionary to the Oneida Indians — Testimonial in favour 
of the Rev. Mr. Leonard — Urges on Congress an increase of the 
chaplains' pay — Requires the troops to render them a suitable 
respect — Mentions kindly the Rev. Mr, Caldwell — Letter to 
Rev. Israel Evans — Dr. Dwight wishes to dedicate a poem to 
him — Letter to that gentleman — Letter to the minister, elders, 
and deacons, of the Dutch Reformed Church of Raritan — Rev. 
Dr. Griffith, minister of the church in Alexandria — Bishop-elect 
of Virginia — Died in Philadelphia, August, 1789 — Extract from 
his funeral sermon, preached by Dr. William Smith — Washing- 
ton's affection for him as his friend and pastor — Bishop White a 
guest at the mansion of the President, 176 

CHAPTER VIL 

His almsgiving — Reflections on the duty — Charity to the poor — 
Kindness to an English soldier— Liberal offer to educate a 



CONTENTS. XI 

youth — Letter to Edward Snickers — Letter to Lund Washing- 
ton — Sundry instances of benevolence, 186 

CHAPTER VIIL 

His filial love— Remarks on the virtue — His desire for the navy- 
relinquished in deference to his mother's wishes — Letters to his 
mother — Extract from his diary — Visit to his mother at Freder- 
icksburg— Her death — Will — Appoints him executor and prin- 
cipal legatee — Letter from him to his sister, 196 

CHAPTER IX. 

His conjugal love — The value of this virtue — Proofs of the same in 
him — A miniature likeness of Mrs. Washington found on his 
bosom after his death — Worn by him for forty years, . , . , 208 

CHAPTER X. 

His respect for superiors — Importance of sucli a spirit in commu- 
nities — Letter to Governour Dinwiddie — Letter to Joseph 
Reed — Respect for Congress, 218 

CHAPTER XI. 

His self-denial — A painful but wholesome duty — Extracts from 
his journal — Trials of his early military life — Health impaired 
— Retires to Mount Vernon — On recovery of his health, resumes 
his command — Much discouraged in prosecuting the war — Plain- 
ness of dress — Difficulties during the revolutionary war — En- 
dured with great patience — Letter to Major General Green — 
Visit of Colonel Meade, his former aid-de-camp — The simplici- 
ty of his dress, 224 

CHAPTER XII. 

His disinterestedness — Letter to John Robinson, speaker of the 
House of Burgesses — Disc'aims selfish motives on entering into 
the service of his country — Losses under General Braddock — 
Declines compensation on accepting the command of the Amer- 
ican army — Letters to Lund Washington, ....... 240 

CHAPTER XIII. 

His humanity — Excellence of this virtue — Kindness to French 
prisoners — Letter to Governour Dinwiddie — Sympathy with 
those suffering by the French and Indian war — Letter to Gen- 
eral Gage — Instructions to General Arnold — Lord Chatham's 
son — Letter to the President of Congress — Proclamation, &c. — 
Expostulates with Lord Howe on cruel treatment of prisoners — 
Cases of Major Andr6 and Captain Asgill, considered — The 
humanity of Washington in regard thereto, vindicated, . . . 249 



Xii #bNTENT9. 



CHAPTER XIV. 

His views of profane swearing, gaming, and drunkenness — Evil 
of these vices — Letters to Governour Dinwiddie in relation to 
them — Order issued to his troops in the French and Indian 
war — Similar orders in the revolutionary war — Letter to his 
nephew, Bushrod Washington, 30^ 

CHAPTER XV. 

J3is views of war — Pernicious effects of war — Remarks of Robert 
Hall — Letters to Richard Washington-^ Address to the New- 
York Provincial Congress — Letter to Arthur Young, Esq. — 
Letter to the Humane Society- — Letter from Dr. Letsom, of 
London — War regarded as a necessary evil by Washing- 
ton — Peace his delight, * . . . . 317 

CHAPTTR XVI. 

His views of duelling — His conduct under provocation in Alexan- 
dria — Letter to Marquis La Fayette — Refuses him his con- 
sent to send a challenge to Lord CarUsle, 328 

CHAPTER XVIL 

His death— Account thereof by Tobias Lear — Death sudden- 
Resignation to the will of God — Mrs. Washington at his bed- 
side — Bible on the bed — Directions concerning his funeral — 
Closes his own eyes — His funeral — Inscription on the door of 
the Family vault, 336 

CHAPTER XVIII. 

I*osthumous honours — Public grief and lamentations at his 
death — Funeral orations and eulogies pronounced in all the 
principal towns and cities — Extracts from those delivered by 
General H. Lee, J. M. Sewall, Esq., Hon. David Ramsay, 
George Blake, Esq., Hon. Fisher Ames, Hon. Timothy 
Bigelow, John Davis, Esq., Rev. William Linn, D.D., Hon. 
J. Smith, Dr. Joseph Blyth, Rev. J. M. Mason, Major Wil- 
liam Jackson, Rev. Devereux Jarratt, Josiah Dunham, Esq., 
Rev. John Thornton Kirkland 356 

CHAPTER XIX. 
The Character of Washington . , 397 



INTRODUCTION 



An account of the early years of Washington, will pro- 
bably be regarded as a proper introduction to the following 
work. With such a chart, the progress of the reader will 
be rendered more easy, as he will not then be detained with 
explanations and references, otherwise unavoidable. Some- 
thing of the kind becomes expedient, moreover, for other 
reasons entitled to weight. 

Of the many narratives published of this period of Wash- 
ington's life, it is beheved that none have been correct. 
The prominent facts may have been given, but not without 
striking errors and contradictions in them all. These, in- 
deed, may not be of very great moment, but it certainly is 
desirable that the statements should be accurate. If the 
history is of any value, it is worthy of being exact in its 
details. The author cannot say that he has attained to 
perfect accuracy, in regard to all the facts, dates, &c., but 
he has been enabled to rectify sundry mistakes of former 
biographers, and to give, as he thinks, a record more faith- 
ful than any which has yet appeared. 

George Washington was born on the 22d of February, 
(n. s.) A.D. 1732. The place of his nativity was Pope's 
Creek, Washington parish, Westmoreland county, Vir- 
ginia. 

The estate on which he was born had been in possession 
of his family for about seventy-five years. It was origi- 
nally settled by his great-grandfather, John Washington ^ 
an English gentleman, who had emigrated from the north 



XIV mPRODUCTION. 

of England, somewhere about the year 1655. As his re- 
moval took place during the protectorate of Oliver Crom- 
well, he was probably one of those who preferred liberty in 
a strange land, to a dishonourable submission at home. 
He is believed to have been a military man in early life. 
His will, now at Mount Vernon, has the following endorse- 
ment, " The will of Lieutenant Colonel Washington." This 
document also bears witness to an ardent piety in the testa- 
tor ; the venerable founder of his family. As the parish 
in which he lived, has always borne his name, he was 
probably mainly instrumental in its establishment. A 
slight bequest in favour of the church, evinced his dying 
solicitude for the decent maintenance of those services 
which he had cherished while living. After his arrival and 
settlement in Westmoreland, he married Miss Pope, 
daughter of the gentleman from whom the creek on which 
he lived took its name. By this marriage he had three 
children, viz. Lawrence, John, and Ann. To Lawrence, the 
oldest son, he bequeathed the estate on which he lived — the 
Pope's Creek farm. Augustine Washington, the father 
of George, was the son of Lawrence, and born in the year 
1694. He was probably the oldest son of his father, as he 
inherited the patrimonial estate at Pope's Creek. He was 
twice married. His first wife was Jane Butler, by whom 
he had four children, viz. Butler, Lawrence, Augustine 
and Jane. Of these, Butler di^d young, and' Jane the 17th 
of January, 1735, when about thirteen years of age ; Law- 
rence and Augustine attained to manhood. The first was 
born in the year 1718, The second wife was Mary Ball, 
a young lady of highly respectable family, in the northern 
neck of Virginia. To her he was married on the 6th of 
March, 1731, being himself thirty-seven years of age. Of 
this union G eorge was the first fruit. He was the oldest of 

* The date of the willis Oct. 21, 1675. 



INTRODUCTION. XV 

six children, viz. George, Betty, Samuel, John Augustine, 
Charles, and Mildred. The latter died when sixteen 
months old. 

It was about the year 1739 that Mr. Washington remov- 
ed from his estate in Westmoreland, to a farm owned by him 
in King George county, (now Stafford county,) on the 
Rappahannock river, directly opposite to Fredericksburg. 
This change of residence was probably induced by consi- 
derations of health — the Potomac estate being sickly. Pre- 
vious to this event, George had been sent to a school kept 
by an old man named Hobby, who was at once a teacher 
and sexton of Washington parish. By this old man was 
the future hero and statesman taught to read. During this 
period domestic incidents occurred, embracing the religious 
instruction of George, to which reference will be made in 
the proper place. Between him and his father, it would 
seem that a delightful intercourse always subsisted ; it be- 
ing a matter of regret to the latter that he was obliged to 
be separated from his child, even during the hours of school. 
Mr. Washington survived his removal from Westmoreland 
but a few years. He had time enough allowed him, how- 
ever, to mark the budding virtues of his son. It was in the 
Easter holydays that Mr. Washington was taken sick. 
George was absent at the time, on a visit to some of his ac- 
quaintances* in Chotanct, King George county. He was 
sent for after his father's sickness became serious, and 
reached the paternal abode in time to witness the last struggle 
and receive the parting benediction of his beloved parent. 

Lawrence Washington, the eldest son by the first wife, 
indulging a military spirit, joined the army, a little after he 

* In his will, General Washington made the following bequests. " To 
the acquaintances and friends of my juvenile years, Lawrence Washington 
and Robert Washington, of Chotanct, I give my other two gold-headed 
canesj having my arms engraved on them," &c. 



XVI INT^DUCTION. 

became of age, and received a captain's commission, dated 
June 9tb, 1740. " He was assigned to a company in a 
regiment to be raised in America, under the command of 
Colonel Alexander Spots wood, designed for the West India 
service, and to act in the Spanish war. The regiment was 
transported to Jamaica early in 1741, where it was imited 
with the British forces in time to take a part in the unsuc- 
cessful siege of Carthagena, conducted by Admiral Vernon 
and General Wentvvorth, in March, of that year. After the 
failure of the expedition, the fleet sailed back to Jamaica, 
where the land forces were stationed, except during a few 
months in the sunjmer season, when, for reasons not known, 
they were taken to Cuba. Captain Washington returned to 
Virginia near the close of the year 1742, having been absent 
about two years."* In a few months after his return, 
his father's death took place. He died at his house, oppo- 
site to Fredericksburg, on the 12th of April, 1743, aged 49 
years. As the eldest son, Lawrence had been charged 
with the care of the family and estate. About this time he 
married Ann Fairfax, a daughter of Mr. William Fairfax, 
and relative of Lord Fairfax. Soon after which event, he 
settled on an estate, not purchased by him, as has been said, 
but bequeathed him by his father; and called by himself 
Mount Vernon, in honour of Admiral Vernon. While 
Lawrence settled at Mount Vernon, in the neighbourhood of 
his father-in-law, his brother Augustine took possession of 
the family estate at Pope's Creek, which property had been 
also bequeathed him by his father. To him was George 
sent a short time after the death of Mr. Washington. Here 
he continued about three years, going to school all the time 
to a Mr. Williams ; a plain, but respectable teacher. 

During this period he was taught the manual exercise by 
Adjutant Muse, a Westmoreland volunteer, who had beeu 

* J, Sparks, 



* INTRODUCTION. XVU 

in the West India service with his brother Lawrence. He 
was also instructed in the art of fencing, by Mons. Van- 
braam, who afterwards accompanied him to Venango as his 
interpreter. At the conclusion of his residence in West- 
moreland, we find him attempting to enter the naval service 
of Great Britain. In September, 1746, he went to the 
county of Fairfax, where his brother Lawrence resided. 
With the consent of his mother a midshipman's warrant 
had been obtained for him by this brother. But a change 
of mind, on the part of Mrs. Washington, had suspended his 
final decision, and in a month or two induced him entirely to 
abandon the thought of going to sea. He did not again 
return to Westmoreland, but spent his time at Mount Yer- 
non, and with his mother near Fredericksburg. Here he 
again went to school, and continued till his seventeenth 
year ; at the commencement of which, viz. in March, 1748, 
he engaged as a surveyor in the western part of Virginia, 
associated with Mr. George Fairfax, in the service of Lord 
Thomas Fairfax. In this laborious office he continued 
about three years, with occasional intervals of absence, on 
visits to his brother at Mount Vernon, and to his mother. 
In the month of September, 1751, if not before, he relin- 
quished the occupation of surveyor, for the purpose of ac- 
companying his brother Lawrence to the West Indies, 
whose declining health rendered such a trip necessary. 
There he did not stay long, taking the small-pox during the 
time, and returning to Virginia alone in February, 1752, 
Lawrence remained with the hope of deriving benefit to his 
health, but failing in this respect, he returned home the fol- 
lowing summer to his grave. He died at Mount Vernon, 
July 26th, 1752. George was at Mount Vernon when his 
brother died, and immediately took charge of his affairs. 
On opening the will of the deceased, it was found that he 
2* 



XVm IN^DDUCTION. 

had given to George the Mount Yernon estate,* together 
with some valuable lands in Berkley county, Virginia. 

A short time before this, according to Judge Marshall, 
George had been appointed by the governour and council, 
adjutant to the northern division of the Virginia militia, ^vith 
the rank of major. It was about fifteen months from the 
death of his brother that he received the appointment, and 
engaged in his tirst public duties as envoy to the French 
commandant on the Ohio. The colony of Virginia having 
been recently divided into four military districts, his appoint- 
ment of adjutant-general was renewed during his absence, 
and the northern district assigned him. In his visit to the 
Ohio he was to act as the messenger of the governour,| to 
deliver a letter to the French commandant, and ascertain 
the meaning of sundry recent hostile movements of the 
French, consisting of undue encroachments on the lands of 
his majesty, the king of England, and maltreating subjects 
of the British crown. Being commissioned on the 30th of 
October, 1753, he set out the same day on his arduous and 
dangerous enterprize. Through many difficulties, priva- 
tions, and hazards, did he persevere in the fulfilment of his 
mission, which he at length accomplished to the perfect sa- 
tisfaction of the authorities by whom he had been employed. 
After many risks of his life, with much suffering from cold 
and fatigue, he returned to Williamsburg, with the answer 
of the French commander, and an account of his own 
travels and proceedings, on the 16th of January, 1754, hav- 
ing been absent about six weeks. 

Inconsequence of the zeal, fidelity and ability, with which 

* Though prompted by his fraternal affection for George, in giving him 
Mount Vernon, yet it appears from an inspection of the will of the father, that 
a desire had been therein expressed that Lawrence, in case he should die 
without issue, \vould give that property to George. He died without issue, 
it is believed, and obeyed the father's wish. 

I Dinwiddie. 



INTRODUCTION. XlX 

Major Waehington accomplished the objects of his western 
tour, he was appointed, soon after his return, to the command 
of two companies, of one hundred men each, ordered to be 
raised by the governour and council, with a view to the con- 
struction of a fort, at the fork of the Ohio, as a means of 
resisting the hostilities of the French. The Virginia assem- 
bly, however, at a recent sitting, having voted ten thousand 
pounds for this service, the governour was induced to increase 
the force to three hundred men, divided into six companies, 
the command of the whole being given to Colonel Joshua 
Fry. Major Washington was then raised to the rank of 
lieutenant-colonel, and made second in command, an ho- 
nour beyond which he did not aspire, and with which he ex- 
pressed himself perfectly satisfied. 

Having been stationed at Alexandria, for the purpose of 
filling up his company, Colonel Washington left that place 
on the 2d of April, and arrived at Will's Creek on the 20th, 
having been joined on the route by a detachment under 
Captain Stephen. Colonel Fry, the chief in command, be- 
ing detained by bad health. Colonel Washington went on 
from his quarters at Will's Creek toward the Great Mea- 
dows. This he was induced to do, by learning that the 
French, in great numbers, had appeared before the fort, then 
in an unfinished state, at the fork of the Ohio, and demand- 
ed its surrender, which was accordingly complied with by 
Ensign Ward, who had been left there by Captain Trent, 
with a handful of men. Considering the frontiers as thus 
actually invaded, Colonel Washington regarded it as his 
duty, in compliance with the orders given him, to move on- 
ward, prepared to meet the invading army wherever it should 
appear. On the 1st of May, his feeble force, consisting of 
one hundred and fifty men, moved from Will's Creek, and 
entered the wilderness by slow and tedious marches. The 
friendly Indians brought in frequent reports of French scouts 



XX IN^pRDUCTION. 

seen in the woods, and on the 24th of May, the half-king sent 
message to Washington, apprisinghim that a French force, a 
in what numbers he could not tell, was on its march to at- 
tack the English, and warning him to be on his guard. 
The army was now a few miles beyond the Great Meadows, 
and on receiving this intelligence, Washington hastened 
back to that place, and at once engaged his men in throwing 
up an entrenchment, determined to wait the approach of the 
enemy. 

Early on the morning of the 27th, Mr. Gist arrived in 
camp, and informed Colonel Washington that M. La Force, 
a French officer, had been at his plantation, about thirteen 
miles off, the day before; and that on his way he had seen 
the tracks of the same party five miles from the encamp- 
ment. 

Washington, suspecting a design to surprise him, imme- 
diately made provision for finding out, and attacking this 
roving detachment of the enemy. In this he succeeded on 
the morning of the 28th. In connexion with a few friendly 
Indians, he surprised the French in their hiding place, and 
after an action of about fifteen minutes, subdued them, kill- 
ing some, and capturing the rest. Among the killed was 
the commander, M. Jumonville. This was the first battle 
in which Washington had ever been engaged. 

A few days after this action, viz : on the 31st of May, 
Colonel Fry died at Will's Creek. Governour Dinwiddie 
was now in Winchester. Colonel Innis, from North 
Carolina, had recently arrived in that town with 350 troops. 
Soon after the death of Colonel Fry, the governour appoint- 
ed Innis to the chief command of all the forces destined 
for the Ohio. Colonel Washington was promoted to the 
command of the Virginia regiment. Neither Colonel 
Innis nor his troops ever joined Colonel Washington, or 
rendered him any aid. He was joined by a Captain 



INTRODUCTION. XXI 

Mackaj, with an independent company from South Caroh- 
na, who were of httie service, as they stood very much 
upon their rights as the king's soldiers, claiming an exemp- 
tion from many duties on that account. Leaving this offi- 
cer and his company at the Great Meadows, Colonel 
Washington marched forward with the A^irginia regiment. 
He soon learned, however, the extent of the French force, 
and though Captain Mackay overtook him, a retreat w^as 
thought expedient. They reached the Great Meadows on 
the 1st of July, when Colonel Washington, finding his men 
too much fatigued to go any further, determined to in- 
crease the strength of the fortifications, and await the 
movements of the enemy. 

On the 3d of July, early in the morning, an alarm was 
received from a sentinel, who had been wounded by the 
enemy ; and at nine o'clock, intelligence came that their 
whole body, amounting, as was reported, to 900 men, were 
only four miles oft'. The action soon commenced. It con- 
tinued from eleven a. m., to eight o'clock at night, when the 
French commander requested a parley. The proposal 
issued in the capitulation of Washington, and his return 
with the troops to Will's Creek. Thence, with Captain 
Mackay he proceeded to Williamsburgh, and communicated, 
in person, the results of the expedition. 

There was a good deal of dissatisfaction expressed in 
regard to some of the articles of capitulation, when they 
became pubHc. The house of burgesses, however, met 
in August, and requested the governour to lay before them 
a copy of the capitulation. This being done, upon a due 
consideration of the subject, they passed a vote of thanks 
to Colonel Washington, and his officers, for their bravery 
and gallant defence of the country. Indeed, all the pro- 
ceedings of the campaign were not only approved, but 
applauded by the government and the pubUc generally. 



XXll INTKpDUCTION. 

Soon after Colonel Washington's return from this expe- 
dition, the governour and council resolved on renewing the 
contest, in which they had been so lately foiled. There 
was,however,a difference between the governour and house 
of burgesses, which prevented an appropriation of money 
at this juncture. When Washington was informed of the 
plans of the governour and council, to engage in another 
enterprize against the French, without delay, he expostu- 
lated so warmly against the folly of such an attempt being 
made without money, men, or provisions, that the scheme 
was readily abandoned. 

When the assembly met in October, they granted twenty 
thousand pounds for the public exigencies, and the 
governour received from England, ten thousand pounds in 
specie, with the promise of as much more, and two thou- 
sand fire-arms. Thereupon he resolved to enlarge the 
army to ten companies, of one hundred men each, and to 
reduce them all to independent companies, by which means 
there would be no officer in the Virginia regiment above 
the rank of a captain. In consequence of this singular 
arrangement. Colonel Washington retired from the army, 
as he would not accept a lower commission than the one 
he had held, and in which he had exhibited a rare example 
of bravery and good conduct. 

From this time, October 1754, he remained on his farm 
engaged in the pursuits of agriculture ; for which he ever 
had a strong predilection. It was not long, however, that 
a man of such decided military talents could be suffered to 
remain inactive, when the cloud of war was impending. On 
the 20th of February, 1755, General Braddock arrived in 
Virginia, as commander-in-chief of all the military forces 
of North America. He had heard of Colonel Washington 
as a man of worth, and finding that he had resigned his 
commission, when his command was reduced, commended 



INTKODIJCTION. XXUl 

the military spirit of the youthful soldier, and, to remove all 
difficulty on that score, he offered him a place in his family, 
as volunteer aid-de-camp. By this arrangement, ex- 
cluding all question of rank, every objection on the part of 
Washington being effectually obviated, he freely accepted 
the offer. 

On the 20th of April General Braddock marched from 
Alexandria, where his troops had first landed. Colonel 
Washington, detained by his private concerns, did not leave 
Mount Yernon till the 23d. He joined the army in a few 
days at Fredericktown, Maryland. From hence they pur- 
sued their way into the wilderness. On the 14th of June 
he was taken sick with a violent fever in the Alleghany 
mountain. The army proceeded without him, the violence 
of his disease rendering it impossible for him to travel. 
He was, however, convalescent in a few weeks, and so far 
recovered as to bear his part in the memorable battle of the 
Monongahela. This fatal event occurred on Wednesday, 
the 9th of July. Colonel Washington had only joined the 
army the day before : he was weak and feeble from the 
effects of his late sickness ; yet did he nobly fulfil his duty 
that day. While death was strewing the plain with its ago- 
nized victims, he conducted himself with the gi^eatest cour- 
se and resolution. General Braddock, with almost every 
officer of distinction, and a large proportion of the troops, 
were either killed or wounded. Washington alone abided 
unhurt the horrors of that dreadful conflict. When Brad- 
dock himself fell, the wretched remnant of his blasted army 
was conducted by Washington to a place of safe retreat. 
The general was also carried off by his assistance, but died 
of his wounds a few days after the battle. He was buried 
at night, in the road, near Fort Necessity, at the Great 
Meadows. 

This disaster, of which a sanguine public had not enter- 



XXIV I^BODUCTION. 

tained the most distant apprehension, came upon the whole 
country like the shock of an earthquake. And yet Colonel 
Washington lost no ground in the confidence of his country- 
men. The belief was general, that if he had been com- 
mander the calamity would not have occurred. By his 
brilliant behaviour during the action, and his skill in direct- 
ing the retreat, he acquired increased reputation and esteem 
with the public. 

In proof of this undiminished confidence he was immedi- 
ately advanced to the chief command of the Virginia forces. 
The assembly voted forty thousand pounds for the public 
service, and the governour and council immediately resolved 
to increase the Virginia regiment to sixteen companies. Of 
this regiment Colonel Washington was appointed command- 
er-in-chief. His commission was dated on the 14th of Au- 
gust. Permission was given him to appoint hh own offi- 
cers, together with an aid-de-camp and secre.nr/. 

Thus cordially sustained, he entered upon ilio duties of 
his command with that energy and resolution for which he 
had been distinguished in all his enterprizes. For these, in- 
deed, there was abundant occasion in that irregular and pro- 
tracted warfare which grew out of the pecuhar policy of the 
French, and habits of the Indians. It now became his duty 
to defend three hundred and sixty miles of frontier, ag^st 
the incursions of a blood-thirsty and unrelenting foe. Win- 
chester was made the head quarters of the army, and the 
valley of the Shannondoah, in which that town was situat- 
ed, being thinly settled by inhabitants, was the frequent 
scene of the most dreadful depredations, and inhuman mur- 
ders. Hordes of savages and Frenchmen were continually 
hovering, hke birds of prey, over that defenceless country, 
for the protection of which an undisciplined and incompe- 
tent force, as it appeared, had been assigned the youthful 
commander. For three tedious and anxious years did 



INTRODUCTION. XXV 

Washington maintain the unequal and harassing strife. 
The governour, jealous, as it was thought, of his rising popu- 
larity, extended to him a tardy and reluctant support. He 
was refused an adequate provision in men and money when 
they were absolutely necessary, and yet censured for disas- 
ters which no human power, under such circumstances, 
could avert. He continued, notwithstanding, amidst the 
most trying and perplexing scenes, to do all that could be 
done, both with his sword and his pen. He repelled the 
foe with the one, and expostulated with the other, where 
there was any hope of success. He was untiring in his ef- 
forts to defend a deserted and afflicted people, who looked 
up to him with tears and entreaties for protection ; while, in 
tones of manly remonstrance, he represented to the govern- 
ment the insufficiency of the means allowed him for a work 
so arduous and trying. 

At length, the great object of his hopes and desires was 
accomphshed, in the expulsion of the enemy from Fort 
Duquesne. The design, which the British government had 
formed, of carrying the war into Canada, being known to 
the French governour in that country, the greater part of their 
troops were recalled from the Ohio. About five hundred 
men had been left for the defence of the French possessions. 
These soon yielded to the British troops, under General 
Forbes. It was on the 25th of November, 1758, that his 
majesty's forces took possession of Fort Duquesne — now 
Pittsburg. The French had previously set fire to the fort, 
and passed down the Ohio. The war was transferred to 
Canada, and Virginia was permitted to rest for a season^ 
exchanging the hazards and ravages of war for the tranquil- 
lity and improvements of peace. 

Colonel Washington now determined to retire from the 
army, and seek, in the repose and relaxation of home, the 

3 



XXvi INTRODUCTION. 

restoration of his injured health, and the improvement of 
of his private affairs, which had suffered much by his long 
absence. 

His word and affections were also pledged at this time to 
that excellent female who in a«hort time became his devoted 
wife. He had been thus engaged since the preceding spring. 
This fact, not generally known, is unimportant, except as 
serving to enhance the value of those hazards and privations 
encountered by him in the cause of his country, and from 
which he could not be seduced by the charms of one so 
tenderly beloved. 

In the month of May, of this year, he visited Williamsburg, 
on pressing business, under the direction of Sir John St. 
Clair.* Itwas at this time that the following circumstances 
occurred, as related in a recent publication by the grandson 
of Mrs. Washington. "It was in 1758, that an officer, at- 
tired in a military undress, and attended by a body ser- 
vant, tall and militaire as his chief, crossed the ferry called 
Williams', over the Pamunkey, a branch of the York river. 
On the boat touching the southern, or New Kent side, the. 
soldier's progress was arrested by one of those personages, 
who give the beau ideal of the Virginia gentleman of the 
old regime, the very soul of kindliness and hospitality. It 
was in vain the soldier urged his business at Williamsburg, 
important communications to the governour, &c. Mr. 
Chamberlayne, on whose domain the militaire had just 
landed, would take no excuse." It was now, in accepting 
an invitation to dine, that Colonel Washington became ac- 
quainted with Mrs. Custis, who was a guest that day at the 
mansion of Mr. Chamberlayne. Having seen her again on 
his return from Williamsburg at her own house in New 

♦ See his letter to the president of the council, dated May 28th, 1758 
as contained in 2d. vol. of his " Writings." p. 285 ; published by J. Sparks. ' 



H 



INTRODUCTION. XXVU 

Kent, he pursued his way to the post of duty, at head- 
quarters, in Winchester. Passing through the toils and 
dangers of the following campaign, which terminted onthe 
25th of November, we find him again in WilUamsburg, 
with a view to a final settlement of his accounts with the 
government on the 30th of December. He was married 
in about a week from this time, viz. on the 6th of January, 
1759, — the marriage ceremony being preformed at the 
White House, New Kent county, the residence of Mrs. 
Custis, by the Rev. Mr. Mossom, rector of St. Peter's 
church, New Kent. 

During the previous summer, having determined to resign 
his commission at the close of the campaign, Colonel 
Washington had proposed himself to the electors of Fred- 
erick county as a candidate for the house of burgesses. 
Though detained from the hustings by the duties of his 
command, he was elected by a large majority over three 
active rival candidates. The assembly was convened by 
prorogation, in the month of February, when he joined the 
body as the member from Frederick. It was on this oc- 
casion that the following incident occurred, as related by 
Mr. >Virt, in his "Life of Patrick Henry,"* on the authority 
of Edmund Randolph. It had been resolved, when it was 
known that Colonel Washington would be a member, that 
the thanks of the house should be returned to him, in a 
public manner, for his distinguished services to his country ; 
and the duty devolved upon Mr. Robinson, the speaker. 

" As soon as Colonel Washington took his seat," says 
Mr. Wirt, " Mr. Robinson, in obedience to this order, and 
following the impulse of his own generous and grateful 
heart, discharged the duty with great dignity ; but with such 
^yarmth of colouring, and strength of expression, as entirely 

* Page 45. 



XXVIU IN^ODUCTION. 

confounded the young hero. He rose to express his ac- 
knowledgements for the honour, but such was his trepida- 
tion and confusion, that he could not give distinct utterance 
to a single syllable. He blushed, stammered, and trembled, 
for a second ; when the speaker relieved him, by a stroke of 
address that would have done honour to Louis the XIV. in 
his proudest and happiest moment. " Sit down Mr. Wash- 
ington," said he, with a conciliating smile ; " your modesty 
is equal to your valour ; and that surpasses the power of 
any language that I possess." 

Colonel Washington remained in Williamsburg during the 
session of the assembly, after which he repaired, with Mrs. 
Washington, to his residence at Mount Vernon. Here was 
he allowed the repose of peace, and the pleasure of his 
favourite agricultural occupations, for the space of sixteen 
years, mingling, however, with them those civil and religi- 
ous pursuits, which became him as a patriot and a Christian. 
He was a magistrate of the county, and a frequent member 
of the house of burgesses, as well as of the first and second 
continental congress. He was also a fast friend of the 
church, in the parish where he lived, doing all in his power 
to advance the interests of morality and religion, through 
her consecrated instrumentality. 

We here conclude our hasty narrative, because no longer 
necessary to a proper understanding of the following work. 
There is so much greater notoriety attaching to the suc- 
ceeding years of his life, than to those which preceded 
them, that it will be easy for the reader of ordinary informa- 
tion, to understand and appreciate the facts and incidents, 
insulated as they may be, which it will be our business to se- 
lect and record, in the course of the following investigation. 



THE 

RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND CHARACTER 

O F 

WASHINGTON. 



CHAPTER I. 

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION OF WASHINGTON. 

The advantages of early religious instruction, imparted 
with due affection and skill, have long since been decid- 
ed by the testimony of human experience, as well as by 
the voice of divine revelation. So well established is the 
principle, that the character of the man may in general 
be safely inferred from the moral discipUne of the youth. 
The consent and approval of mankind, has in one sense 
consecrated the familiar adage : — 

" Just as the twig is bent, the tree 's inclined ;" 

And the Wise Man declares the same in substance, when 
he says, '• Train up a child in the way he should 'go^ 
and when he is old, he will not depart from it." 

^' It is true, indeed," says one,* « that our first years 

♦ Kev. J. W. Cunningham, A, M, 

3* 



JI^J 



RELIGIWFS OPINIONS AND 



seldom supply that sober ear, which the lessons of religion 
demand ; but then every avenue to the heart is open ; 
and whatever spirit is introduced into the system, often 
lives, though latent, and animates the frame fmever. 
Early piety may sometimes languish, but then it is often 
but for a season, as rivers sometimes suddenly disappear, 
but as often rise again in a distant spot, with brighter 
waves and increased rapidity. — Early scholars in reli- 
gion are the best, for they have less to unlearn. Indeed, 
it is rare to see the gray hairs of Devotion silver the head 
which was not early taught of Heaven." 

A striking confirmation of the doctrine in question ap- 
pears to be furnished by the life and character of Wash- 
ington. Of this, however, we must leave our readers to 
form their own judgment, when the evidences of his re- 
ligious education shall have been laid before them. 
There is reason, indeed, to regret that the amount of 
positive knowledge on this subject is not so ample as 
could have been desired. And yet there are some things 
known to us, which afford very strong presumptive tes- 
timony, while a few scattered examples of parental 
care have been given, which enable us to conclude, with' 
considerable certainty, in regard to the general course of 
moral and spiritual instruction pursued in his case. 

The record of his early reception into the Christian 
church, by the sacred rite of baptism, has been copied 
from the family Bible. It is here submitted, not only as 
an article of some interest in itself but as serving to in- 
troduce reflections which may shed a little light upon 
our subject. 

" George Washington, Son to Augustine and Mary his 
Wife, was born the 11th day of Febuary, 1731-2 about 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 31 

10 in the morning, and was baptized the 5th of April 
following — Mr. Beverly Whiting and Captain Christopher 
Brooks, Godfathers, and Mrs. Mildred Gregory, God- 
mother." 

The parents of Washington, as the reader will no 
doubt understand, were members of the Church of Eng- 
land ; which was almost the only denomination of Chris- 
tians then known in the colony of Virginia. And in the 
matter before us, the baptism of their child, and the ac- 
companying sponsorial provision, they acted, it would 
seem, in precise and scrupulous conformity with the 
rules of that ancient Church. 

In the absence of accurate information, as before inti_ 
mated, there is very good ground of belief that the course 
subsequently pursued by the parents, was according to 
the good beginning here made. The vows of those who 
devoted their offspring to God in holy baptism, as admin- 
istered by the Church of England, were very solemn, and 
the age distinguished by a rigid punctuality respecting 
the duties enjoined by those vows. The solemnity of 
the engagements incurred, may be more clearly perceiv- 
ed, and fully understood from the emphatic terms of the 
following exhortation, always delivered in the conclusion 
of the service, by the officiating minister : — 

'' Forasmuch as this child hath promised, by you, his 
Sureties, to renounce the devil and all his works, to be- 
lieve in God, and to serve him ; ye must remember, that 
it is your parts and duties to see that this infant be taught, 
so soon as he shall be able to learn, what a solemn vow, 
promise and profession, he hath here made by you. And 
that he may know these things the better, ye shall call 
upon him to hear Sermons ; and chiefly ye shall provide. 



32 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

that he may learn the Creed, the Lord's Prayer, and the 
Ten Commandments, and all other things which a Chris- 
tian ought to know, and believe to his soul's health ; and 
that this Child may be virtuously brought up, to lead 
a godly and a Christian life — remembering always 
that Baptism doth represent unto us our profession ; 
which isj to follow the example of our Saviour Christy 
and to be made Uke unto him, that as he died and rose 
again for us, so should we, who are baptized, die from 
sin, and rise again unto righteousness ; continually mor- 
tifying all our evil, and corrupt affections, and daily pro- 
ceeding in all virtue and godhness of living." 

These peculiarities are referred to, solely for the pur- 
pose of exhibiting the nature of the obligations incurred, 
equally by the sponsors and parents of Washington, in 
the religious observance under consideration — obligations 
which we have good reason to believe they conscien- 
tiously fulfilled. Their exact conformity with the regula- 
tion of the church in the original instance, seems to 
authorize the conclusion, that they subsequently acted 
with the same scrupulous regard to engagements, bound 
upon them by the solemn sanctions of religion, and en- 
forced by motives drawn from the hopes and fears of 
another world. 

We shall here introduce a few biographical incidents, 
as not unworthy the attention of our readers. They 
may be quoted, as serving, in some degree, to aid our 
inquiries, and confirm our impressions of parental fidelity 
in the case before us. Nor let any complain of them, as 
unimportant and trifling. Life is very much made up of 
email things, and it is often to them we must look for the 
development and proof of principles. What these little 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 



33 



domestic occurrences shall be found to want in historical 
dignity, we think they Avill make up in real worth and 
useful intimations. Their employment may at least 
contribute to the amusement and edification of our juve- 
nile readers, and, perhaps, not be deficient in salutary 
suggestions to older persons entrusted with the instruc- 
tion and government of the young. 

The following account rests on the testimony of a 
venerable lady, now deceased, who, as a friend and rela- 
tive, spent many of her youthful days in the family of 
Mr. Washington. 

'' On a fine morning in the fall of 1737, Mr. Washing- 
ton, having George by the hand, came to the door, and 
asked cousin Washington and myself to walk with him 
to the orchard, promising to show us a fine sight. On 
arriving at the orchard, we were presented with a fine 
sight, indeed. The whole earth, as far as we could see, 
was strewed with fruit ; and yet the trees were bending 
under the weight of apples. ' Now, George,' said his 
father, ' look here, my son ! Do n't you remember, when 
this good cousin of yours brought you that fine, large 
apple last spring, how hardly I could prevail on you to 
divide with your brothers and sisters, though I promised 
that if you would but do it, the Almighty would give you 
a plenty of apples this fall?' Poor George could not 
say a word ; but, hanging down his head, looked quite 
confused. 'Now, look up, my son,' continued his father, 
' and see how richly the Almighty has made good my 
promise to you ! ' George looked, in silence, on the wide 
wilderness of fruit ; then, lifting his eyes to his father, he 
said, with emotion, ' Well, pa, only forgive me this time, 
and see if I am ever so stingy any more.' " 



34 RELIGI^S OPINIONS AND 

Mr. Washington, it would seem, earnestly addressed 
himself to the work of inspiring his son with an early- 
love of truth. On this subject he often spoke to him, 
commending the virtue as one of pre-eminent value and 
excellence. Of the efficacy of his instructions the follow- 
ing incident may afford some illustration. The narrative 
rests upon the authority of the excellent lady before 
mentioned. 

'' When George was about six years old, he became 
the happy owner of a hatchet, of which, like most little 
boys, he was immoderately fond, and was constantly 
going about, chopping every thing that came in his way* 
One day, in the garden, where he often amused himself, 
he unluckily tried the edge of his hatchet on the body 
of a beautiful young English cherry-tree, which he 
barked so terribly that I believe the tree never got the 
better of it. The next morning, the old gentleman, find- 
ing out what had befallen his tree — which, by-the-by, 
was a great favourite with him — came into the house, 
and, with much warmth, asked for the mischievous au- 
thor — declaring, at the same time, that he would not 
have t^ken five guineas for his tree. Nobody could 
tell hinli any thing about it. Presently George and 
his hatchet made their appearance. ' George,' said 
his father, ' do you know who killed that beautiful little 
cherry-tree yonder in the garden 7 ' George was taken 
by surprise, and for a moment staggered under the 
question ; but he quickly recovered himself, and, looking 
at his father, he said, ' I can't tell a lie, pa — I cut it, with 
my hatchet.' The delighted father embraced his child, 
saying, ' Glad am I, George, that you killed the tree, for 
you have paid me for it a thousand- fold ! Such an act 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 35 

of heroism, my son, is worth a thousand such trees as 
the one destroyed.' "* 

It was not, however, forgotten by Mr. Washington, 
while instructing his son in the obligations of morality, 
that " the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge," 
and the only effectual source of real virtue and goodness. 
To give his son this knowledge, and inspire him with 
this fear, as far as human agency could effect it, was 
accordingly a cherished aim with this considerate parent. 
To accomplish his pious object by an impression that 
would be deep and enduring, he adopted the following 
expedient. 

On a properly prepared bed in his garden, he traced, 
with a stick, the letters of his son's name ; and, sowing 
seed in them, he covered the same over, and smoothed 
the ground nicely with a roller. In a short time the 
usual progress of vegetation brought up the plants, and 
displayed, in prominent and legible characters, the words, 
George Washington. It was not many days before 
the vegetable wonder caught the eye for which it was 
intended. Again and again did the astonished boy 
read his name, springing up from the earth in letters 
fresh and green. But soon he turned with eager steps 
to seek his beloved father, and tell him of the sight he 
had seen. The conscious father hastened with him to 
the spot, and listened for a time to the expression of his 
childish admiration and perplexity. It was in vain that 
he sought for a cause of the phenomenon. He could not 

* This and the preceding occurrence Avere communicated to Rev. 
Mr. Weems, for a short time rector of Mount Vernon parish, after the 
death of Washington. 



36 RELIGI^ife OPINIONS AND 

be satisfied until his father revealed his own agency. He 
had made the letters with his stick, and had sowed the 
seed in the furrows ; and the warm earth had caused 
them to spring- up. And now he availed himself of the 
propitious occasion to direct the excited faculties of his 
child toward the contemplation of that Infinite Intelli- 
gence whence all things had proceeded. He showed the 
necessary existence of God, from the works of nature — 
from the manifest traces of design, contrivance, and wise 
adjustment, every where discernable in the various pro- 
ductions of his Almighty hand. The moment was emi- 
nently auspicious. The mind could not have been more 
impressible, or open to salutary instruction, under any 
ordinary influence. Such a demonstration as that pre- 
sented to the eye, was eminently calculated to stimulate 
reflection, enlighten the mind, and rivet conviction. 
Here, in the name inscribed on the earth, was an effect ; 
for this there must have been a cause ; and an intelligent 
cause must be inferred from the design manifest in the 
work. If such a conclusion was authorized, yea, com- 
pelled, by the present instance of intelligent contrivance, 
how much more might it be inferred that " the Lord by 
wisdom hath founded the earth, and by understanding 
estabhshed the heavens ! " What varied and cogent 
proof of infinite wisdom as well as power could be pointed 
out in the wonderful formation of the globe, and in the 
yet more wonderful structure of the human frame ! In 
the due illustration and explanation of these things, ad- 
dressed in the liquid tones of parental affection, was Mr. 
Washington, perhaps, instrumental in making those im- 
pressions, which, growing with his growth, and strength- 
ening with his strength, constituted, under a higher 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 37 

influence, the germ of those reverential and devout feel- 
ings towards the Deity, which ever after so signally marked 
the character and conduct of the Father of his Country. 

Thus happily and profitably to young Washington, 
rolled on the days of his early age. But not many years, 
in the providence of God, were allotted as the term of this 
pleasant intercourse between the father and his beloved 
child. George had just concluded his eleventh year 
when his father was removed by the hand of death. 

From this time, the care of her first-born, dev^olved en- 
tirely on Mrs. Washington. She had always no doubt 
united with her excellent husband in the sacred duty of 
parental instruction, endeavouring to'- bring up her chil- 
dren in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.'" But 
now the w^hole burden falls upon her, — and if success is 
made the test of fidelity and fitness for the delicate ofiice, 
surely it is not an humble degree of either, that will be 
ascribed to her by posterity. Of her high estimate of 
virtue at least, and of the harmony of sentiment exist- 
ing between herself and departed spouse, in reference 
thereto, let the following incident bear witness. 

" After Washington attained to manhood, he was re- 
markable for his sobriety ; yet his boyhood was not with- 
out some instances of folly and rashness. 

" The story related of the favourite colt will serve as an 
illustration of this latter remark. At the time the occur- 
rence happened, which I am about to relate, George 
might have been somewhat past ten years old. At all 
adventures his father was dead ;* and upon his mother 
devolved the general care of the plantation. 

* He was certainly past eleven years of age as his father died in 
April, 1743. 



38 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

" Among other things she owned a colt ; which, on ac- 
count of its many fine points, was quite a favourite. It 
was old enough to have been broken long before ; but 
for some reason it had been neglected, and was remarka- 
bly wild. 

"George had frequently eyed this colt as it pranced 
round the field, proudly snuffing up the wind, wheeling 
and halting, and displaying its fine proportions ; and 
more than once he wished that he was upon its back. 

'• One day, at length, he told his wishes to some of his 
school companions, and engaged them to meet him early 
the next morning, when, with their assistance, he would 
have a ride. 

*•' Accordingly the little party assembled the following 
day, soon after sunrise, and repaired to the field, where 
the young Arabian was kept, at no great distance from 
the house. With some effort, they contrived to pen him, 
and with still more effort to put a bridle upon him. 

" Several took hold of the bridle, while the athletic 
youngster, with a single leap, vaulted upon his back. 

" The necessary consequences of such an undertaking 
now took place. A desperate struggle followed between 
the horse and his rider. For a long time the contest con- 
tinued doubtful, till at length in the fury of his plunges, 
the noble animal falling headlong burst a blood vessel, 
which produced instant death. 

" By this fall George received no injury. But it grieved 
him to see lying before him the lifeless body of the spirit- 
ed animal, whose death he was now sensible had been 
occasioned by his censurable folly and rashness. His 
mother, too ! her fondness for this animal came crowding 
upon him, to render his trouble still more distressing. 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON 39 

" Shortly after a call to breakfast was heard. Some of 
the companions of George, I believe, had been invited to 
breakfast with him that morning; and now, however 
much they could have desired to have been excused, they 
went inj and were soon seated at the table. 

" For a time, little was said — less than usual. Whether 
Mrs. Washington remarked this, I cannot say. But, at 
length, breaking the silence, she inquired whether they 
had seen her fine sorrel colt in their rambles. 

" To this no one of the boys replied, and the question 
was therefore repeated. 

" There was now no escape. The case was to be met, 
and met at once. The integrity of George had been 
tried in still younger days ; and now again tried, it no- 
bly stood the test. He replied to the question put by his 
mother. 

" ' Your sorrel colt is dead, mother.' 

" < Dead ! George,' exclaimed Mrs. W., with a good deal 
of surprise — ' dead, do you say V her hands relaxing 
from some service which she was performing at the table. 

'' ' Yes, he is dead.' 

'' ' How happened 4t, George ? ' 

" ' I will tell you, mother. I am the only one in 
fault.' And now he proceeded to give her a circumstan- 
tial and correct account of the whole transaction. 

" Before the story was ended, the flush, which had for a 
short space risen upon the cheek of Mrs. W., an evidence 
of her displeasure, had all passed away, and in conclusion 
she observed, quite kindly and calmly, ' While I regret 
the loss of my favourite, I rejoice hi my son, who al- 
iDays speaks the truth.^ "* 

* Anonymous. 



40 RELiaiC^ OPINIONS AND 

Soon after the above occurrence, the father having 
been dead some months, George was sent to Westmore- 
land to reside v^ith his half-brother, Augustine, who, as 
heir thereof, occupied the family seat in ttiat county. It 
was mainly with a view to the benefits of a respectable 
school in the neighbourhood, that George was removed 
from the maternal roof. 

What the religious advantages were, which awaited 
him in his new situation, we have not the means of ascer- 
taining. There is no doubt but he enjoyed the privilege 
of public worship at the parish church, known then and 
now as Pope's Creek Church. Here his attendance was 
probably habitual, as it was an age in wliich every body 
in that region frequented the House of God whenever di- 
vine service was performed. This fact, otherwise noto- 
rious, is also indicated by the size of the churches built in 
Virginia at that period, and by none more strongly than 
by the one above-named, which, from its vast extent, could 
once have accommodated a multitude of worshippers. 

During his temporary residence in Westmoreland, and 
while the pupil of a Mr. Williams, the manifestations of 
good dispositions were numerous and striking. Such 
was his reputation, (as an old gentleman who had been 
at school with him once testified) such was his reputa- 
tionfor veracity, impartiality, and sound judgment, among 
his schoolmates, that in all their little differences and dis- 
putes he was ever called to act as their chosen umpire. 
And so great was their confidence in him, that his deci- 
sions were seldom called in question. With his com- 
panions he never quarrelled ; nor would he ever con- 
sent to see them fight with each other. Instead of en, 
couraging a practice so degrading, he would often inform 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 41 

the teacher when he became acquainted with any such 
wicked design — for which, however, he was much cen- 
sured by the boys. 

By nature possessed of a resolute and martial spirit, 
how shall we account for his gentle and pacific conduct 
in the instances referred to. How, except on the ground 
of a very refined temper, or of a gracious state of mind. 
It is known that the Spirit of God does often, at a very 
tender age, secretly imbue the soul with generous feelings 
and kind affections. We are inclined to think that the 
traces of his hallowed agency were clearly apparent in 
the dispositions and conduct under consideration. 

The few meagre records which have been spared us 
of this period of his life, enable us to form some idea of 
the particular direction of his mind, and of the manner in 
which his leisure hours were spent. When about thirteen 
years of age he kept a blank book for the reception, in 
manuscript, of such articles as he thought instructive and 
useful. Among other things we find him transferring to 
this book, from a source not signified, a nvimber of max- 
ims, or rules of conduct, for the government of a young 
person. We here present the reader with a selection from 
these rules. They are such as may aflford profit to all if 
carefully considered. 

" 1. Every action in company ought to be with some 
sign of respect to those present. 

"2. Be no flaterrer. 

" 3. Let your countenance be pleasant ; but in serious 
matters, somewhat grave. 

^'4. Show not yourself glad at the misfortune of an- 
other, though he were your enemy. 

«' 5. When you meet with one of greater quality that 
4* 



42 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

yourself, stop and retire ; especially if it be at a door, or 
any strait place, to give way for him to pass. 

"6. They that are in dignity or in office, have in all 
places precedency ; but whilst they are young they 
ought to respect those that are their equals in birth, or 
other qualities, though they have no public charge. 

" 7. It is good manners to prefer them to whom we 
speak before ourselves; especially if they be above us, with 
whom in no sort we ought to begin. 

"8. Let your discourse with men of business be short 
and comprehensive. 

" 9. In writing or speaking, give to every person his 
due title, according to his degree and the custom of the 
place. 

" 10. Strive not with your superiours in argument, but 
always submit your judgment to others with modesty. 

"11. Undertake not to teach your equal in the art 
himself professes ; it savours of arrogancy. 

"12. When a man does all he can, though it succeeds 
not well, blame not him that did it. 

" 13. Being to advise, or reprehend any one, consider 
whether it ought to be in public or in private, presently 
or at some other time, in what terms to do it ; and in re- 
proving show no signs of choler, but do it with sweetness 
and mildness. 

" 14. Take all admonitions thankfully, in what time 
or place soever given ; but afterwards, not being culpable, 
take a time or place convenient to let him know it that 
gave them. 

"15. Mock not, nor jest at any thing of importance ; 
break no jests that are sharp-biting, and if you deliver 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 43 

any thing that is witty and pleasant, abstain from laugh- 
ing thereat yourself. 

"16. Wherein you reprove another be unblamable 
yourself; for example is more prevalent than precepts. 

" 17. Use no reproachful language against any one ; 
neither curse^ nor revile. 

" 18. Be not hasty to believe flying reports to the dis- 
paragement of any. 

"19. In your apparel be modest, and endeavour to ac- 
commodate nature, rather than to procure admiration ; 
keep to the fashion of your equals, such as are civil and 
orderly with respect to times and places. 

'• 20. Play not the peacock, looking every where about 
you to see if you be well decked, if your shoes fit well, if 
your stockings sit neatly, and clothes handsomely. 

"21. Associate yourself with men of good quality, if 
you esteem your own reputation ; for it is better to be 
alone than in bad company. 

" 22. Let your conversation be without malice or envy, 
for it is a sign of a tractable and commendable nature ; 
and in all causes of passion, admit reason to govern. 

" 23. Utter not base and frivolous things among grave 
and learned men ; nor very difficult questions or subjects 
among the ignorant : nor things hard to be believed. 

" 24. Be not immodest in urging your friend to discover 
a secret. 

" 25. Break not a jest where none takes pleasure in 
mirth ; laugh not aloud, nor at all without occasion. 
Deride no man's misfortune, though there seem to be some 
cause. 

" 26. Speak not injurious words neither in jest nor 
in earnest ; scoff at none, though they give occasion. 



44 RELIGmpS OPINIONS AND 

" 27. Be not forward, but friendly and courteous ; the 
first to salute, hear and answer ; and be not pensive 
when it is time to converse. 

"28. Detract not from others ; neither be excessive 
in commending. 

" 29. Go not thither, where you know not whether 
you shall be welcome or not. Give not advice, without 
being asked, and when desired do it briefly. 

" 30. Reprehend not the imperfections of others ; for 
that belongs to parents, masters and superiours. 

"31. Gaze not on the marks or blemishes of others, 
and ask not how they came. What you may speak in 
secret to your friend, deliver not before others. 

" 32. When another speaks, be attentive yourself, and 
disturb not the audience. If any hesitate in his words 
help him not, nor prompt him without being desired ; 
interrupt him not, nor answer him till his speech be 
ended. 

" 33. Make no comparisons ; and if any of the com- 
pany be commended for any brave act of virtue, com- 
mend not another for the same. 

" 34. Be not apt to relate news if you know not the 
truth thereof. In discoursing of things you have heard^ 
name not your author always. A secret discover not. 

" 35. Undertake not what you cannot perform, but 
be careful to keep your promise. 

" 36. Speak not evil of the absent, for it is unjust. 

" 37. Set not yourself at the upper end of the table, 
but if it be your due, or that the master of the house will 
have it so, contend not lest you should trouble the com- 
pany. 

'"^ 38. When you speak of God, or his attributes, let it 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 45 

be seriously in reverence. Honour and obey your natu- 
ral parents, although they be poor. 

" 39. Let your recreations be manful, not sinful. 

" 40. Labour to keep alive in your breast that httle 
spark of celestial fire, called conscience." 

In the code of rules, of which the above are a speci- 
men, there is contained some very useful instruction for 
improvement in morals and manners. The vigilant care 
Avhich furnished young Washington with such seasonable 
aid, was probably mindful of the advantages of still 
higher knowledge, even the knowledge of God and re- 
vealed truths. We should at least so conclude from the 
spirit and practice of the day, in reference to the claims 
and duties of family religion. 

From this period we learn httle of the life of Washing- 
ton, (except his continuance in Westmoreland, at school) 
till the summer of 1746. He was now in his fifteenth 
year, and seeking to enter the British navy. During his 
suspense, or rather the suspense of his mother, he found 
his way into the county of Fairfax, the residence of his 
brother Lawrence and other friends. AYhile there, per- 
haps, on his way to Mount Vernon, he appears to have 
spent a little time at the house of Mr. William Fairfax, 
the father-in-law of his brother, and a most amiable and 
excellent individual. The following extract of a letter 
from him to Lawrence Washington, is the last notice we 
have of George, having any reference to his character, 
till he entered upon the active stage of Ufe, some eighteen 
months from this time, as a surveyor in the w^estern part 
of Virginia. In the letter alluded to, dated September 
10th, 1746, Mr. Faufax writes,— 

*' George has been with us, and says he will he steady 



46 RELl#buS OPINIONS AND 

and thankfully folloio your advice as his best friend. 
I gave him his mother's letter to deliver, with a caution 
not to show his. I have spoken to Dr. Spencer, who I 
find is often at the widow's, [Mrs. Washington 's] and has 
some influence, to persuade her to think better of your 
advice in putting George to sea with good recommen- 
dations." 

In the autumn of this year it was settled that George 
should not go to sea. The tenderness of a mother's love, 
under God, prevented this step. The circumstances at- 
tending the final reUnquishment of a scheme, so captivat- 
ing to the youthful fancy, were marked by some highly 
honourable proofs of fihal affection on his part. Every 
necessary preparation for his indulgence having been 
completed, the surrender of his prospects was a costly sa- 
crifice at the shrine of duty — the peace of an honoured pa- 
rent being consulted at the expense of cherished anticipa- 
tions. The divine command had doubtless been im- 
pressed on his mind, "Honour thy father and thy mother, 
that thy days may be long in the land which the Lord 
thy God giveth thee ;" and he had seen the same sub- 
stantially reiterated, in the moral sentences just quoted 
from his manuscript book, " Honour and obey your na- 
tural parents, although they be poor" — and being always 
principled in what he thought right, he did not hesitate 
to deny himself in this instance, painful as the effort was, 
that he might contribute to the satisfaction and comfort of 
her who had nourished and brought him up, and lavish- 
ed upon him her fondest regard, her tenderest affection. 
To this event, however, we shall have occasion to revert 
again, and therefore forbear to dwell upon it here. 

From this time, till March 1748, when he engaged 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON 47- 

as a surveyor with Lord Fairfax, being just sixteen years 
of age, George, it is believed, resided at Mount Vernon, 
and with his mother at her abode opposite to Fredericks- 
burg. In that town he went to school, and as Mrs. 
Washington was connected with the church there, her 
son no doubt shared, under her own eye, the benefits of 
divine worsliip, and such reUgious instruction as mothers 
in that day were eminently accustomed to give their chil- 
dren.* It was the habit to teach the young the first 
principles of religion according to the formularies of the 
church, to inculcate the fear of God, and the strict ob- 
servance of the moral virtues, such as truth, justice, cha- 
rity, humility, modesty, teniperance, chastity, and indus- 
try. That such instruction was not withheld in the case 
under consideration, we have good reason to believe, and 
think a confirmation thereof may be found, not only in 
the known spirit of the age, but in the subsequent life of 
him who thus shared the advantages of so excellent a 
means of grace. 

By indulgence of the present estimable possessor of 
Mount Yernon, the writer has upon his table an ancient 
volume, entitled, " Contemplations, Moral and Divine, 
by Sir Mathew Hale, Knight ; late Chief Justice of the 
King's Bench." This book belonged to Mrs. Washing- 
ton, and has her name in it, written with her own hand. 
It would seem that the volume passed, the time unknown, 
into the hands of General Washington, as it was found 
after his death in the hbrary at Mount Yernon. It bears 

* Mrs. Vv^asliington had an only daughter, the mother of a large fa- 
mily. The writer once heard a member of that flimily say, that when 
he first left the parental roof, the last thing his mother said to him was, 
" My son, neglect not the duty of secret prayer." 



48 RELIGI^S OPINIONS AND 

the marks of frequent use, and appears, in certain parts, 
to have engaged particular attention. There is reason- 
able ground of assurance that Mrs. Washington was in 
the habit of reading from this book, lessons of piety and 
wisdom to her children. Such was the pious custom of 
parents ; and the tradition in the family is that " it was 
a counsellor of past days." 

It is proposed to make a few extracts from the work, 
embracing especially such portions as have been evidently 
most frequently used and particularly referred to. There 
will be found in the truths and principles inculcated here- 
in, so much that assimilates with the character and habits 
of Washington, that it is hard to avoid the persuasion 
that he was familiar with the subject-matter of the vo- 
lume, either through the early instructions of his mother, 
or by the diligent study thereof at a subsequent period of 
his life. 

From the treatise on " Humility," the fifth in the vo- 
lume, w^e make the following extracts : — 

" But on the other side, an humble man leans not to 
his own understanding ; he is sensible of the deficiency 
of his own power and wisdom, and trusts not in it ; he is 
also sensible of the all-sufficient power, wisdom and good- 
ness of Almighty God ; and commits himself to him for 
counsel, guidance, direction, and strength. It is natural 
for any man or thing, that is sensible of his own defi- 
ciency, to seek out after that which maybe a support and 
strength to him, and as Almighty God is essentially good 
and perfect, so he is (if I may use the expression) most 
naturally communicative of it, to any that seek unto him 
for it in humility and sincerity. The air does not more 
naturally yield to our attraction in respiration, or to in- 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 



49 



sinuate itself into those spaces that are receptive of it, 
than the Divine assistance, guidance, and beneficence, 
does to the desires, and exigencies, and wants, of an hum- 
ble soul, sensible of its own emptiness and deficiency, and 
imploring the direction, guidance, and blessing, of th6 
most wise and bountiful God. I can call my oion ex- 
perience to witness, that even in the external actions, 
occurrences and incidences of my whole life, I was never 
disappointed of the best guidance and direction, when in 
humility and sense of my own deficiency, and diffidence 
of my own ability to direct myself, or to grapple with the 
difficultes of my life, I have with humility and sincerity, 
implored the secret direction and guidance of the Divine 
Wisdom and Providence. And I dare therein appeal to 
the vigilant and strict observation of any man's experi- 
ence, whether he has not found the same experience 
in relation to himself, and his own actions and successes ; 
and whether those counsels and purposes which have 
been taken up after an humble invocation of the Divine 
direction, have not been always most successful in the 
end. 

'• Consider, what it is thou pridest thyself in, and ex- 
amine well the nature of the things themselves, how little 
and inconsiderable they are ; at least, how uncertain and 
unstable they are. 

" Thou hast fine gay clothes, and this makes children 
and young men and women proud, even to admiration. 
But thou art not half so fine and gay as the Peacock, 
Ostrich, or Parrot ; nor is thy finery so much thine own, 
as theirs is ; but it is borrowed from the silk-v/orm, the 
golden mines, the industry of the Embroiderer, Weaver, 
Tailor ; and it is no part of thyself And hast thou the 
5 



50 RELIGI^S OPINIONS AND 

patience to suffer thyself to be abused into this childish, 
pitiful, foolish pride ? 

" Thou hast it may be wealth, stores of money, but 
how much of it is of use to thee? That which thou 
spendest, is gone ; that which thou keepest, is as insig- 
nificant as so much dirt or clay ; only thy care about it 
makes thy life the more uneasy. 

******** 

" Thou hast honour, esteem ; thou art deceived, thou 
hast, it not, he hath it that gives it thee, and which he 
may detain from thee at pleasure But sup- 
pose it were as fixed and stable a reputation and honour, 
as a rock of marble or adamant, and that it were the 
best kind of honour imaginable, namxcly, the result of 
thy virtue and merit ; yet still it is but a shadow, a re- 
flection of that viitue or worth, which if thou art proud 
of, thou degradest into vanity and ostentation ; and 
canst thou think it reasonable to be proud of the shadow, 
where thou oughtest not to be proud of that worth that 
causeth it ? 

" Again ; thou hast power, art in great place and 
authority ; but thou art mistaken in this, the power thou 
hast, is not inherent in thyself. One of the meanest of 
those whom it may be thou oppressest, is inherently as 
powerful as thee, and could, it may be, over-match thee in 
strength, wit, or policy ; but the power thou hast is, (next 
to the dispensation of Divine Providence) from those 
men, that either by their promises, faith or voluntary 
assistance, have invested thee with this power. This 
pov^er is nothing inherent in thee, but it depends upon 
the fidelity or assistance of others, which if they either 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 51 

by perfidiousness to thee, or resistance against thee, 
or withdrawing their assistance from thee, shall call 
again home to themselves, thou art like Sampson 
having lost his locks. Thy strength tvill go from 
thee, and thou wilt become weak^ and he like ano- 
ther manP 

The treatise on " Redeeming Time," seems to have 
engaged particular attention. We make a few quota- 
tions which we regard as appropriate. 

" How time is to be redeemed. The particular me- 
thods of husbanding time under both the former rela- 
tions, viz., in relation to opportunity, and in. relation to 
our time of life, shall be promiscuously set down. Now 
the actions of our lives may be distinguished into several 
kinds, and in relation to those several actions, will the 
employments of our time be diversified. 1. There are 
actions nattir al ; such as eating, drinking, sleep, motion, 
rest. 2. Actions ci^;^7; as provision for families, bearing 
of public offices in times of peace or war ; moderate recre- 
ations and diversions ; employments in civil vocations, as 
Agriculture, Mechanical T'rades, Liberal Professions. 3. 
Actions moral; whether relating to ourselves, as sobri- 
ety, temperance, moderation, or relating to others, as acts 
of justice, charity, compassion, liberality. 4. or lastly, 
actions religions ; relating to Almighty God, as invoca- 
tion, thanksgiving, inquiring into his works, wiU, obedi- 
ence to his law, and commands, observing the solemn 
seasons of his worship and service, and, which must go 
through and give a tincture to all the rest, a habit of fear 
of him, love to him, humiUty and integrity of heart and 
soul before him ; and in sum, a habit of religion towards 



52 RELIGIOWrOPINIONS AND 

God in his Son Jesus Christ, which is the one thing ne- 
cessary, and overweighs all the rest. 

******* 

'' Much time might be saved and redeemed, in retrench- 
ing the unnecessaiy waste thereof in our ordinary sleep, 
attiring and dressing ourselves, and the length of our 
meals, as breakfast, dinners, suppers ; which, especially 
in this latter age, and among people of the better sort, 
are protracted to an immoderate and excessive length. 

" Beware of too much recreation. Some bodily ex- 
ercise is necessary, for sedentary men especially ; but 
let it not be too frequent, nor too long. Gaming Taverns, 
and Plays, as they are pernicious, and corrupt youth; 
so if they had no other fault, yet they are justly to be de- 
clined in respect of their excessive expense of time, and 
habituating men to idleness and vain thoughts, and dis- 
turbing passions, when they are past, as well as while they 
are used. Let no recreations of any long continuance be 
used in the morning, for they hazard the loss or discom- 
posure of the whole day after. 

" Be obstinately constant to your devotions at certain 
set times, and be sure to spend the Lord's day entirely in 
those religious duties proper for it ; and let nothing but 
an inevitable necessity divert you from it. 

" Be industrious and faithful in your calling. The 
merciful God has not only indulged us with a far greater 
portion of time for our ordinary occasions, than he has re- 
served to himself, but also enjoins and requires our indus- 
try and diligence in it. And remember, that you observe 
that industry and diligence, not only as the means of ac- 
quiring a competency for yourself and your family, but 
also as an act of obedience to his command and ordi- 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON 53 

nance, by means whereof, you make it not only an act 
of civil conversation, but of obedience to Almighty God ; 
and so it becomes in a manner spiritualized into an act 
of rehgion. 

" Whatever you do, be very careful to retain in your 
heart a hahit of religion, that may be always about you? 
and keep your heart and life always as in his presence, 
and tending towards him. This will be continually with 
you, and put itself into acts, even though you are not in a 
solemn posture of religious worship, and will lend you 
multitudes of religious applications to God, upon all occa- 
sions and interventions, which will not at all hinder you 
in any measure, in your secular concerns, but better and 
further you. It will make you faithful in your calling, 
through reflection on the presence and command of Him 
you fear and love. It will make you thankful for all 
successes and supplies ; temperate and sober in all your 
natural actions ; just and faithful in all your deahngs ; 
patient and contented in all your disappointments and 
crosses ; and actually consider and intend His honour in 
all you do ; and will give a tincture of rehgion and devo- 
tion upon all your secular employments, and turn those 
very actions, which are materially civil or natural, into 
the very true and formal nature of religion, and make 
your whole life to be an unintermitted life of religion and 
duty to God. For this habit of piety in your soul, will 
not only not lie sleeping and inactive, but almost in every 
hour of the day, will put forth actual exertings of itself 
in applications of short occasional prayers, thanksgivings, 
dependence, resort unto that God tbat is always near you, 
and lodgeth in a manner in your heart by his fear, and 
love, and habitual religion towards him. And by this 

5* 



54 RELIGl^S OPINIONS AND 

means you do effectually, and in the best manner, redeem 
your time." 

But that part of the volume specially deserving atten- 
tion, as exhibiting a singularly accurate counterpart of 
the character of Washington, is the treatise styled " The 
Great Audit," with " The Account of The Good Stew- 
ard." In this production we have the final judgment 
supposed — all mankind standing before the bar of God, 
who submits to each a charge, and receives from the good 
steward an account of his life. In the charge, among 
other things, we have the following : 

" 1. I have given vmto you all your senses, and princi* 
pally those two great senses of discipline, your sight and 
your hearing. 

" Item. I have given unto you all. Understanding and 
Reason, to be a guide of your actions, and to some of you 
more eminent degrees thereof. 

" Item. I have given you all. Memory, a treasury of 
things past, heard, and observed. 

'' Item. I have given you a Conscience to direct you, 
and to check you in your miscarriages, and to encourage 
you in well-doing ; and I have furnished that Conscience 
of yours with light, and principles of truth and practice, 
conformable to my will. 

" Item. I have given you the advantage of Speech, 
whereby to communicate your minds to one another, and 
to instruct and advantage one another by the help thereof. 

'' Item. I have given over to you the rule and domi- 
nion over my creatures, allowing you the use of them for 
your food, raiment, and other conveniences. 

" Item. Besides these common talents, I have enrich- 
ed some of you with special and eminent talents above 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 55 

Others. I have given such great learning and know- 
ledge in the works of Nature, Arts and Sciences ; great 
prudence and wisdom in the conduct of affairs, elocution, 
excellent education. I have given you a firm and healthy 
constitution, strength, beauty and comeliness ; also great 
affluence of wealth and riches, eminence of place, and 
power and honour ; great reputation and esteem in the 
world ; great success in enterprizes and undertakings, 
pubhc and private. Christian and liberal education you 
have had ; counsel and advice of faithful and judicious 
friends ; good laws in the place and country where you 
live ; the written word of God acquainting you with my 
will, and the way to eternal life ; the word preached by 
able and powerful ministers thereof; the sacraments 
both for your initiation and confirmation," &c. &c. 

In answer to these things the good steward is represent- 
ed as giving in his account. Among many other things 
which he is supposed to say, the following are put into 
his mouth. 

" As to all the blessings and talents wherewith thou 
hast entrusted me — I have looked up to thee with a thank- 
ful heart, as the only author and giver of them. I have 
looked upon myself as unworthy of them. I have looked 
upon them as committed to my trust anW stewardship, 
to manage them for the ends that they were given, the 
honour of my Lord and Master. I have therefore been 
watchful and sober in the use and exercise of them, lest 
I should be unfaithful in them. If I have at any time, 
through weakness, or inadvertence, or temptation, mis- 
employed any of them, I have been restless, till I have 
in some measure rectified my miscarriage, by repentance 
and amendment. 



56 RELIG 



l^S 



OPINIONS AND 



" As touching my conscience and the Ught thou hast 
given me in it. — It has been my care to improve that 
natural hght, and to furnish it with the best principles 1 
could. Before I had the knowledge of thy word, I got as 
much furniture as I could from the writings of the best 
moralists, and the examples of the best men ; after I had 
the light of thy word, I furnished it with those most pure 
and unerring principles that 1 found in it. I have been 
very jealous either of wounding,or grieving, or discourag- 
ing, or deadening my conscience. I have therefore chosen 
rather to forbear that which seemed but indifferent, lest 
there might be somewhat in it that might be unlawful ; 
and would rather gratify my conscience with being too 
scrupulous, than displease or disquiet it by being too ven- 
turous. I have still chosen rather to forbear what might 
probably be lawful, than to do that which might be pos- 
sibly unlawful ; because I could not err in the former, 1 
might in the latter. If things w^ere disputable whether 
they might be done, I rather chose to forbear because the 
lawfulness of my forbearance was unquestionable. 

" Concerning my speech, I have always been careful 
that I offend not with my tongue ; my words liave been 
few, unless necessity or thy honour required more speech 
than ordinary ; my words have been true, representing 
things as they were ; and sincere, bearing conformity to 

my heart and mind I have esteemed it the 

most natural and excellent use of my tongue, to set forth 
thy glory, goodness, power, wisdom and truth ; to in- 
struct others, as I had opportunity, in the knowledge of 
thee, in their duty to thee, to themselves and others ; to re^ 
prove vice and sin, to encourage virtue and good living, 
to convince of errors, to maintain the truth, to call up' 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 



57 



on thy name, and by vocabprayers to sanctify my tongue, 
and to fix my thoughts to the duty about which I was ; 
to persuade to peace and charity and good works. 

" Touching thy creatures, and the use of them, and 
the dominion over them, I have esteemed them thine in 
propriety : thou hast committed unto me the use, and a 
subordinate dominion over them ; yet I ever esteemed 
myself accountable to thee for them, and therefore I have 
received them with thankfulness unto thee, the great 
Lord both of them and me. When the earth yielded me 
a good crop of corn, or other fruits ; when flocks increas- 
ed ; when my honest labours brought me in a plentiful or 
convenient supply, I looked up to thee as the Giver, to thy 
Providence and blessing, as the source of all my increase. 
I did not sacrifice to my own net, or industry or pru- 
dence, but I received all as the gracious and bountiful 
returns of thy Hberal hand ; I looked upon every grain of 
corn that I sowed as buried and lost, unless thy power 
quickened and revived it ; I esteemed the best production 
would have been but stalk and straw, unless thou hadst 
increased it ; I esteemed my own hand and industry but 
impotent, unless thou hadst blessed ; for it is thy blessing 
that maketh rich, and it is thou that givest power to get 
wealth. 

" I esteemed it my duty to make a return of this my 
acknowledgment, by giving the tribute of my increase in 
the maintenance of thy ministers, and the relief of the 
poor ; and 1 esteemed the practice enjoined to thy ancient 
people of giving the tenth of their increase, not only a 
sufficient warrant, but instruction to me, under the Gos- 
pel, to do the like. 



58 



KELiq^tJS OPINIONS AND 



''Concerning human prudence, and understanding 
in affairs, and dexterity in the management of them. — I 
have ahvays been careful to mingle justice and honesty 
with my prudence; and have always esteemed prudence, 
actuated by injustice and falsity, the arrantest and most 
devilish practice in the world, because it prostitutes thy 
gift to the service of Hell, and mingles a beam of thy 
Divine excellence, with an extract of the devil's furnish- 
ing, making a man so much the worse by how much 
he is wiser than others. I always thought that wisdom, 
which in a tradesman, and in a politician, was mingled 
with deceit, falsity, and injustice, deserved the same 
name ; only the latter is so much the w^orse, because it 
was of the more public and general concernment ; yet 
because I have often observed great employments, 
especially in public affairs, are sometimes under great 
temptations of minghng too much craft with prudence^ 
and then to miscall it, policy, I have as much as may 
be, avoided such temptations, and if I have met with 
them, I have resolutely rejected them. 

" I have always observed, that honesty and plain-deal- 
ing in transactions, as well public as private, is the best 
and soundest prudence and policy, and commonly at the 
long run over-matches craft and subtlety ; for the de- 
ceived and deceiver are thine, and thou art privy to 
the subtlety of the one, and the simplicity of the other ; 
and as the great observer and ruler of men, dost dispense 
success and disappointments accordingly. 

'' As human prudence is abused if mingled with falsity 
and deceit, though the end be ever so good, so it is much 
more debased, if directed to a bad end ; to the disho- 
nour of thy name, the oppression of thy people, the 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON-. 59 

corrupting of thy worship or truth, or to execute any 
injustice towards any person. It hath been n»y care as 
not to err in the manner, so neither in the end, of the ex- 
ercising- of thy Providence. I liave ever esteemed my 
prudence then best employed, when it was exercised in 
the preservation and support of thy truth, in the uphold- 
ing of thy faithful ministers, in countermining, discover- 
ing, and disappointing the designs of evil and treacher- 
ous men, in delivering the oppressed, in righting the in- 
jured, in preventing of wars and discords, in preserving 
the public peace and tranquillity of the people where I 
live ; and in all those offices incumbent upon me by thy 
Providence under every relation. 

" When my end was most unquestionably good, 1 
ever then took most heed that the means were suitable 
and justifiable. Because the better the end was, the more 
easily are we cozened into the use of ill means to effect 
it. We are too apt to dispense with ourselves in the 
practice of what is amiss, in order to the accomplishing 
of an end that is good ; we are apt, while with great in- 
tenseness of mind we gaze upon the end, not to take care 
what course we take so we attain it ; and we are apt to 
think that God will dispense with, or at least overlook, 
the miscarriages in oiu- attempts, if the end be good. 
Because many times, if not most times, thy name and 
honour do more suffer by attempting a good end by bad 
means, than by attempting both a bad end, and by bad 
means. For bad ends are suitable to bad means ; they 
are alike ; and it doth not immediately as such concern 
thy honour. But every thing that is good hath some- 
what of thee in it ; thy name, and thy nature, and thy 
honour is written upon it ; and the blemish that is cast 



60 RELIGIOU^ OPINIONS AND 

upon it, is, in some measure, cast upon thee ; and the 
evil, and scandal, and infamy, that is in the means, is 
cast upon the end, and doth disparage and blemish it, 
and consequently it dishonours thee. To rob for burnt- 
offerings, and to lie for God, is a greater disservice to thy 
majesty, than to rob for rapine or to lie for advantage. 

" Whensoever my prudence was successful, in the at- 
tainment of a good end, I ever gave thy name the glory, 
and that in sincerity. I have known some men, (and if 
a man will observe his own heart, he will find it there 
also, unless it be strictly denied,) that will give God the 
glory of the success of a good enterprize, but yet with a 
kind of secret reservation of somewhat of praise for them- 
selves, their prudence, conduct, and wisdom ; and will 
be glad to hear of it, and secretly angry and discontented 
if they miss it ; and many times give God the glory, 
with a kind of ostentation and vanity in doing so. But 
I have given thee the glory of it because of my very 
judgmenf, that it is due, and due only to thee. I do 
know that that prudence that I have, comes from thee ; 
and I do know that it is thy providential ordering of oc- 
currences, that makes prudential deliberations successful ; 
and more is due unto thy ordering, disposing, fitting, 
timing, directing of all in seeming casualties, than there 
is to that human counsel by which it is moved or seems 
to be moved ; the least whereof, if not marshalled by thy 
hand, would have shattered and broken the counsel into 
a thousand pieces. Thou givest the advice by thy wis- 
dom, and dost second it by thy Providence ; thou dealest 
by us, as we do by our children, when we set them to lift 
up a heavy weight, and we lift with them ; and we again 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 61 

are too like those children that think we moved the 
weight, when we moved not a grain of it. 

" In reference to my health, I always avoided these two 
extremes : I never made it my idol, I declined not the 
due employment of my body in the works of charity or 
necessity, or my ordinary calUng, out of a vain fear of 
injuring my health ; for I reckoned my health given me 
in order to these employments. And as he is over-care- 
ful, that will not put on his clothes, for fear of wearing 
them out, or use his axe, for fear of hurting it ; so he 
gives but an ill account of a healthy body, that dares not 
employ it in a suitable occupation, for fear of hurting 
his health. Nor was I vainly prodigal of it, but careful 
in a due manner to preserve it. I would decline places 
of infection, if I had no special duties that brought me 
to them, also unnecessary journeys, exposing myself to 
unnecessary dangers, especially intemperance in eating 
and drinking. 

" Touching my eminence of place or power in this 
world, tliis is my account. I never sought or desired it, 
and that for these reasons. First, because I easily saw 
that it was rather a burden than a privilege. It made 
my charge and my account the greater, my content- 
ment and my rest the less. I found enough in it to 
make me decline it in respect of myself, but not any 
thing that could make me seek or desire it. That ex- 
ternal glory and splendour also that attended it, I esteem- 
ed as vain and frivolous in itself, a bait to allure vain 
and inconsiderate persons, not valuable enough to in- 
vite a considerate judgment to desire or undertake it. 1 
esteemed them as the gilding that covers a bitter pill, 
and I looked through this dress and outside, and easily 

6 



6» llEUGIOUS OPINIONS ANU 

saw that it covered a state obnoxious to danger, solicitude, 
care, trouble, envy, discontent, disquietude, temptation, 
and vexation. I esteemed it a condition, which, if there 
were any distempers abroad, they would infallibly be 
hunting and pushing at it ; and if it found any corrup- 
tions within, either of pride, vain-glory, insolence, vindic- 
tiveness, or the like, it would be sure to draw them out 
and set them to work. And if they prevailed, it made 
my power and greatness, not only my burden but my 
sin ; if they prevailed not, yet it required a most watch- 
ful, assiduous, and severely vigilant labour and industry? 
to suppress them. 

" When I undertook any place of power or eminence, 
first, I looked to my call thereunto, to be such as I might 
discern to be thy call, not my own ambition. Second, 
that the place were such as might be answered by suita- 
ble abilities, in some measure, to perform. Third, that my 
end in it might not be the satisfaction of any pride, ambi- 
tion, or vanity in myself, but to serve thy Providence and 
my generation faithfully. In all which, my undertaking 
was not an act of my choice, but of my duty. 

" In the holding or exercising these places, I kept my 
heart humble ; I valued not myself one rush the more for 
it. First, because I easily found that that base affection 
of pridCj which commonly is the fly that haunts such em- 
ployments, woidd render me dishonourable to thy majes- 
ty, and disserviceable in the employment. Second, be- 
cause I easil}^ saw great places were slippery places, the 
mark of envy. It was, therefore, always my care so to be- 
have myself in them, as I might be in a capacity to leave 
them, and so to leave them, that when I had left them, I 
might have no scars and blemishes stick upon me. I 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 63 

carried, therefore, the same evenness of temper in holding 
them, as might become me, if I were without them.— 
Third, I found enough in great employments, to make 
me sensible of the danger, troubles, and cares of them ; 
enough to make me humble, but not enough to make me 
proud and haughty. 

" 1 never made use of my power or greatness to serve 
my own turns, either to heap up riches, or to oppress my 
neighbour, or to revenge injuries, or to uphold injustice. 
For, though others thought me great, I knew myself to 
be still the same, and in all things, besides the due exe- 
cution of my place, my deportment was just the same as 
if I had been no such man ; for first, I knew that I Avas 
but thy steward and minister, and placed there to serve 
thee, and those ends which thou proposedst in my prefer- 
ment, and not to serve myself, much less my passions or 
corruptions. And further, I very well and practically 
knew, that place, and honour, and preferment, are things 
extrinsical, and form no part of the man. His value and 
estimate before, and under, and after his greatness, is still 
the same in itself, as the counter that now stands for a 
penny, anon for six-pence, and then for twelve-pence, is 
still the same counter, though its place and extrinsical de- 
nomination be changed. 

" I improved the opportunity of my place, eminence, 
and greatness, to serve thee and my country in it, with 
all vigilance, diligence and fidelity. I protected, counte- 
nanced, and encouraged thy worship, name, day, and 
people. I did faithfully execute justice according to that 
station I had. I rescued the oppressed from the cruelty, 
malice, and insolence of their oppressors. I cleared the in- 
nocent from unjust calumnies and reproaches. I was in- 



64 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

strumental to place those in offices, places, and employments 
of trust and consequence, that were honest and faithful. I 
removed those that were dishonest, irreligious, false, or 
unjust, (fee. 

" Touching my reputation and credit, I never aflected 
the reputation of being rich, great, crafty, or politick ; but 
I esteemed much a deserved reputation of justice, honesty, 
integrity, virtue, and piety. 

" I never thought that reputation was the thing pri- 
marily to be looked after in the exercise of virtue, for that 
were to affect the substance for the sake of the shadow, 
which had been a kind of levity and weakness of mind ; 
but I looked at virtue, and the worth of it, as that which 
was the first desii'able, and reputation, as a fail- and useful 
accession to it. 

'' The reputation of justice and honesty, I was always 
careful to keep untainted, upon these grounds. First, be- 
cause a blemish in my reputation w^ould be dishonourable 
to thee. Second, it would be an abuse of a talent which 
thou hadst committed to me. Third, it would be a 
weakening of an instrument which thou hadst put into 
my hands, upon the strength whereof much good might 
be done by me. 

" Though I have loved my reputation, and have been 
vigilant not' to lose, or impair it, by my own default or 
neglect, yet I have looked upon it as a brittle thing, a 
thing tiiat the devil aims to hit in a special manner, a 
thing that is much in the power of a false report, a mis- 
take, a misapprehension, to wound and hurt ; and not- 
withstanding all my care, I am at the mercy of others, 
without God's wonderful, over-ruling providence. And 
as my reputation is the esteem that others have of me, so 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 65 

that esteem may be blemished without my default. I 
have, therefore, always 1 aken this care, not to set my heart 
upon my reputation. I will use all fidelity and honesty, 
and take care it shall not be lost by any default of 
mine ; and if, notwithstanding all this, my reputation be 
soiled by evil, or envious men, or angels, I will patiently 
bear it, and content myself with the serenity of my own 
conscience. 

" When thy honour, or the good of my country, was 
concerned, I then thought it was a seasonable time to lay 
out my reputation for the advantage of either, and to act 
with it, and by it, and upon it, to the highest, in the use 
of all lawful means. And upon such an occasion, the 
counsel of Mordecai to Esther was my encouragement — • 
' Who knoweth whether God hath not given thee this re- 
putation and esteem for such a time as this V " 

In these striking selections, from this excellent produc- 
tion, our readers will doubtless see reason for the behef, 
that no small influence was contributed thereby towards 
the formation of Washington's character. Here we might 
stop, in the assurance that such a persuasion would be 
general. But we cannot forbear another quotation, be- 
cause of the singular coincidence of its sentiments with 
those which are known to have distinguished the Father 
of his Country. We cite the discourse in which the au^ 
thor treats " Of Wisdom and the Fear of God." His lan^ 
guage is : — 

" Sincerity, uprightness, integrity, and honesty, are cer- 
tainly true and real wisdom. Let any man observe it 
where he will, an hypocrite, or dissembler, or double- 
hearted man, though he may shuffle it out for awhile, 
yet at the long run, he is discovered, and disappointed, 

a* 



66 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

and betrays very much folly at the latter end ; when a 
plain, sincere, honest man, holds it out to the very last ; so 
that the proverb is most true, that ^'-Honesty is thej)est 
Policy.^'' Now the great privilege of the fear of God is, 
that it makes the heart sincere and upright, and even that 
will certainly make th*^ words and actions so. For he 
is under the sense of the inspection and animadversion of 
that God who searches the heart ; and therefore, he 
dares not lie, nor dissemble, nor flatter, nor prevaricate, 
because he knows the pure, all-seeing, righteous God, that 
loves truth and integrity, and hates lying and dissimula- 
tion, beholds and sees and observes him, and knows his 
thoughts, words and actions. 

******** 

" Another great cause of folly in the world is, inadver- 
tence, inconsideiation, precipitancy, and over-hastiness 
in speeches or actions. If men had but the patience many 
times, to pause but so long in actions and speeches of mo- 
ment, as might serve to repeat but the Creed or Lord's 
Prayer, many follies in the world would be avoided that 
do very much mischief, both to the parties themselves 
and others. And therefore, inadvertence and precipi- 
tancy in things of great moment, and that required much 
deliberation, must needs be a very great folly, because 
the consequence of miscarriage in them is of greater mo- 
ment. Now the fear of God, being actually present up- 
on the soul, and exerting itself, is the greatest motive and 
obligation in the world to consideration and attention, 
touching things to be done or said. 

* * * * * # * 

" It mightily advanceth and improveth the worth and 
excellency of most human actions in the world, and 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON 67 

makes them a nobler kind of a thing, than otherwise 
without it, they would be. Take a man that is employ- 
ed as a statesman or pohtician, though he have much 
wisdom and prudence, it commonly degenerates into 
craft, and cunning, and pitiful shuffling, without the fear 
of God, but mingle the fear of Almighty God with that 
kind of wisdom, it renders it noble, and generous, and 
staid, and honest, and stable. Again, take a man that is 
much acquainted with the subtler kind of learning, as 
philosophy for instance, without the fear of God upon his 
heart, it will carry him over to pride, arrogance, self-con- 
ceit, curiosity, presumption ; but mingle it with the fear 
of God, it will ennoble that knowledge, carry it up to the 
honour and glory of that God, who is the author of nature, 
to the admiration of his power, wisdom and goodness ; it 
will keep him humble, modest, ' sober, and yet rather 
with an advance, than detriment, to his knowledge." 

Copious as these extracts are, from a volume which 
seems to have been the vade mecum of Washington, the 
indulgence of the intelligent reader is confidently antici- 
pated. It is gratifying to know that he took delight in 
such a work, that he was habitually familiar with its holy 
and edifying instructions, and sympathized with the en- 
lightened and pious author, in views and sentiments so 
exalted. In contemplating the circumstance, we feel as 
if a debt of gratitude was due the illustrious man, who gave 
himself to the labour of writing such a book, while he 
fulfilled those duties of his high office, which gave him 
an imperishable claim to the homage and gratitude of his 
own country. By his pre-eminent ability, and abundant 
labours, as the chief judicial ofificer of the Enghsh bench, 
he sustained the character of its brightest ornament, and 



68 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

yet found time and means, by the admirable production 
before us, to confer inestimable spiritual good upon his 
fellow-men. It was of this valued man that one of the 
first of poets sung.* 

_— . « piety has found 

Friends in thefriendsof science, and true pray'r 
Has flow'd from lips wet wiih Castalian dews. 
Such was thy wisdom, Newton, child-like sage ! 

And such thine, in whom 

Our British Themis gloried with just cause, 
Immortal Hale ! for deep discernment prais'd, 
And sound integrity, not more than famed, 
For sanctity of manners undefil'd." 

Nor can we forget what we owe to the kind and con- 
siderate mother, who having stored the mind of her son 
with the priceless wisdom of this book, gave it to him, in 
all probabiUty, as the memorial of her love, when he first 
left her widowed habitation for the boisterous sea of life. 
Let the example encourage parents to imitate her mater- 
nal fidelity, and early sow the seed, which may, in a pro- 
pitious soil, to ample harvests grow. 

* Cowper. 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 69- 



CHAPTER II. 

HIS RELIGIOUS OPINIONS. 

Impressed, as we have seen, at an early age, with 
reverence for the Divine Being, and educated in the 
principles of Christianity, the next subject of inquiry 
claiming attention, involves the question of Washington's 
matured opinions, in regard to the truth of those things, 
which had been received by him, in the less competent 
season of youth. It has been affirmed by some, that 
whatever may have been imagined on the subject, he 
never did in fact fully embrace the Christian system, or 
admit its divine authority. To estabhsh this point, 
has been a favourite design with individuals of a certain 
class, ever since his eminence has imparted peculiar 
weight to his opinions. With the motives, which have 
induced these statements, we have not so much to do, as 
with their want of claim to public confidence. 

The following incident, taken from a northern journal, 
will at once explain the allusions just indulged, and in- 
troduce the written testimony of Washington, in favour of 
a sincere belief, on his part, in the truth and divinity of 
the Holy Scriptures. 

'•Messrs Editors. — The publication in your last 
paper on the subject of the religious sentiments of Gene- 



70 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

ral Washington, and other distinguished men of th« 
revolution, reminds me of a conversation I heard some 
years ago on the same subject, at the residence of the 
late Judge Boudinot. at Newark, N. J. It was asserted 
by some one, that although General Washington had, in 
his public documents, acknowledged the existence and 
sovereignty of a Supreme Being, who governed and ruled 
the a^airs of this world, yet there was no proof that he 
was a Christian^ or acknowledged a divine revelation or 
belief in a Saviour. This, Judge Boudinot remarked, 
was a mistake. ' The General,' he observed, ' was a 
Christian,' and cited the address or circular letter* to the 
several governours of the different states, as a proof This 
address he produced, and fiom it I extracted the part 
bearing on this subject, a copyt of which I now enclose 
for publication, if you think proper." 

" The citizens of America, placed in the most enviable 
condition, as the sole lords and proprietors of a vast tract 
of continent, comprehending all the various soils and 
climates of the world, and abounding with all the neces- 
saries and conveniences of life, are now, by the late satis- 
factory pacification, acknowledged to be possessed of ab- 
solute freedom and independency. They are, from this 
period, to be considered as the actors on a most conspicu- 
ous theatre, which seems to be peculiarly designated by 
Providence, for the display of human greatness and feli- 
city. Here, they are not only surrounded with every 
thing, which can contribute to the completion of private 

* The circular letter was dated Head-Gluarters, Newburg, 8 June, 
1783. 

t The extract given above is somewhat more extended than the one 
referred to, 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 71 

and domestic enjoyment, but heaven has crowned all its 
other blessings, by giving a fairer opportunity for political 
happiness, than any other nation has ever been favoured 
with. Nothing can illustrate these observations more 
forcibly, than a recollection of the happy conjuncture of 
times and circumstances, under which, our republic as- 
sumed its rank among the nations. The foundation of 
our empire, was not laid in the gloomy age of ignorance 
and superstition ; but at an epocha, when the rights of 
mankind were better understood, and more clearly defin- 
ed, than at any former period. The researches of the 
human mind after social happiness, have been carried to 
a great extent : the treasures of knowledge, acquired by 
the labours of philosophers, sages and legislators, through 
a long succession of years, are laid open for our use, and 
their collected wisdom may be happily applied in the 
establishment of our forms of government. The free cul- 
tivation of letters, the unbounded extension of commerce, 
the progressive refinement of manners, the growing 
liberality of sentiment, and above all, the pure and 
hejiign light of Revelation, have had a meliorating in- 
fluence on mankind, and increased the blessings of society- 
At this auspicious period, the United States came into ex- 
istence as a nation, and if their citizens should not be 
completely free and happy, the fault will be entirely their 
own." 

Having thus supplied us, especially in the words which 
we have itahcized, with a conclusive proof of his belief 
in revealed religion, we have from his pen, in the con- 
clusion of the "Letter," if possible, a still stronger expres- 
sion of his faith in the fundamental verities of the Gos- 
pel. His words are : — 



72 RELIGIM^ OPINIONS AND 

" It remains then to be my final and only request, that 
your Excellency will communicate these sentiments to 
your legislature at their next meeting, and that they 
may be considered as the legacy of one, who has ardent- 
ly wished, on all occasions, to be useful to his country, 
and who, even in the shade of retirement, will not fail to 
implore the Divine benediction upon it. 
f "I now make it my earnest prayer, that God would 
have you, and the State over which you preside, in his 
holy protection ; that he would incline the hearts of the 
citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedi- 
ence to government; to entertain a brotherly affection and 
love for one another, for their fellow-citizens of the United 
States at large, and particularly for their brethren who 
served in the field ; and finally, that he would most 
graciously be pleased, to dispose us all to do justice, to 
love mercy, and to demean ourselves with that humility 
and pacific temper of mind, which were the characteris- 
tics of the Divine Author of our blessed religion, and with- 
out an humble imitation of whose example in these 
things, we can never hope to be a happy nation." 

Does the language here quoted require any comment? 
What more satisfactory evidence could be asked or given, 
of unqualified faith in Revelation as a fact, or in the 
doctrines announced thereby. The illustrious author 
dwells, dehghted, on the sources of national good, dis- 
tinguishing the age. He refers to education, commerce, 
refinement of manners, and liberality of sentiment, as 
promising a favourable influence ; and then adds — "But? 
above all, the jnire and heiiign light of Revelation 
has had a meliorating influence on mankind and in- 
creased the blessings of society." Revelation in his 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 73 

view, has not only shed " hght" upon the world, but that 
light is " pure and benign." By it the condition of man- 
kind has been improved, and the '' blessings of society 
increased." Nor does his testimony end with this strong 
expression of his belief. He proceeds, in the closing para- 
graph of this memorable letter, to give utterance to opini- 
on?, which must be regarded as still stronger than those 
]:)efore recorded, as more decisive of his evangehcal con- 
victions. In urging upon his fellow- citizens the amiable 
virtues of social Ufe, such as justice, mercy, humility, and 
charity ; their observance is enforced by no less a motive, 
than the example of Jesus Christ, as the "Divine 
Author of our blessed religion." Let the reader mark 
the force of the language. It is not Jesus Christ " the 
Author/' but the " Divine Author." Nor is it the •' Di- 
vine Author of our rehgion," but of our " blessed re- 
ligion." 

With so good a confession before them, subject to their 
investigation and scrutiny, how is it, that men have pro- 
fessed doubt and ignorance, in relation to the religious 
belief of Washington. Could terms more explicit, or 
language more transparent, be employed to announce 
the honest convictions of the mind ? Or was there ever 
ail individual, on whose formal declarations of opinion, 
more entire reliance might be placed / 

There is yet another public official expression of his 
religious sentiments, to which we are concerned in giv- 
ing special attention. In his " Farewell Address to the 
People of the United States," when retiring from the 
Presidential Chair, we have a forcible and unequivocal 
declaration of his confirmed opinions, in relation to the 
doctrines of Revelation. Having devoted the greater 

7 



74 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

part of his days to the service of his country — to the 
good of his fellow-citizens — he takes his final leave of 
them, and of all the employments of public life, in this 
Address, celebrated by a judicious writer, as " an enduring 
monument of the goodness of his heait, the wisdom of 
his head, and the eloquence of his pen." Among many 
other truths of the highest political value and practical 
excellence, his parting advice on the subject of religion, 
was conveyed in the following accents of unfaltering 
conviction, and emphatic warning. 

" Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to poli- 
tical prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable 
supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of 
patriotism, who should labour to subvert these great pil- 
lars of human happiness ; these firmest props of the 
duties of men and citizens. The mere politician, equally 
with the pious man, ought to respect and cherish them. 
A volume could not trace all their connexions with pri- 
vate and public felicity. Let it simply be asked, where 
is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the 
sense of religious obligation desert the oaths, which are 
the instruments of investigation in courts of justice? 
And let us with caution indulge the supposition, that 
morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever 
may be conceded to the influence of refined education, on 
minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both 
forbid us to expect, that national morality can prevail in 
exclusion of religious principles. 

" It is substantially true, that virtue or moralit}^, is a 
necessary spring of popular government. The rule, in- 
deed, extends with more or less force, to every species of 
government. Who that is a sincere friend to it, can look 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 75 

with indifference upon attempts to shake the foimdation 
of the fabric ? " 

In the well-weighed instruction of this valuable ex- 
tract, we have a vindication of evangelical doctrine, 
which cannot, we think, be too highly estimated. A 
full development of the pregnant meaning of its state- 
ments, cannot fail to give entire assurance, not only of 
the faith of the writer in the truth of Christianity, but 
also to impress us with the most gratifying views of the 
accuracy and soundness of his theological tenets. 

That his testimony, however, may be duly appreciated, 
it will be necessary to consider the circumstances which 
induced this manly and seasonable confession, as well as 
the intrinsic value and orthodoxy of the truths embraced 
in its unequivocal terms. 

The period at which the views before us were ex- 
pressed, was distinguished by the alarming prevalence, 
in another hemisphere, of a reckless and heaven-daring 
spirit of infidelity. The principles of its system, indus- 
triously circulated, greedily received, and widely pervad- 
ing the mass of mind in the land — if not of their first 
germination, yet of their rank and luxuriant growth — 
had already produced their own bitter fruit, in the unpa- 
ralleled succession of civil commotions, tumults, conspi- 
racies and murders, by which, the recent revolution in 
that aflflicted country, had been signalized. Had the 
evil been restricted to its native clime, there had not 
been so much reason to assail it, or warn of its danger. 
Unhappily it was not so confined. Unpropitious winds 
had wafted the foul contagion to our distant shores, and 
its fatal breath was fast infecting our hitherto untainted 
population. The profane dogmas of the Gallic philoso- 



76 . RELIGIQgi OPINIONS AND 

pliers, had been imbibed by some of our eminent coun- 
trymen, and diffused through their agency, were eagerly 
fostered by the people, in their sympathy with a nation, 
to whom we were under real obligations for the essen- 
tial aid they had rendered us, in our recent arduous 
struggle for independence. But he, whom Providence 
had raised up, to guard the interests of America, was on 
his watch-tower, in the exercise of a vigilance that never 
slumbered. The portentous mischief did not long escape 
his penetrating eye. He saw it in the principles of some, 
secretly debauched by a foreign residence, but near his 
person for a time, and otherwise in his confidence. The 
influence of great abilities on humbler minds was not 
unknown to him. He could not, therefore, hesitate about 
his course. Impelled by his ardent love of country and 
honest regard for truth, he resolved to throw his weight 
into the scale of revealed religion, and essay to neutralize 
the deadly poison of infidelity, before the foundations of 
public and private felicity should be totally corrupted and 
irretrievably undermined. 

In putting forth his magnanimous efforts for this end, 
he has not only furnished a conclusive proof of his own 
individual belief in Divine Revelation, as refused and 
denied b\^the new philosophy ; but has left on record an 
imperishable memorial of the substantial agreement of his 
religious views, with those of the great body of orthodox 
believers, in every age and country. The existence of 
this pleasing harmony may be clearly traced, in the just 
and scriptural ideas advanced in the Address, as cited, 
respecting the intimate connexion, subsisting in the eco- 
nomy of Heaven, betwixt religion and morality. We 
quote his words again. — '• Let us loitli caution indulge 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 77 

the supposition., that morality can he maintained 
without religion. Whatever m,ay he conceded to the 
influence of rejined education, on minds of peculiar 
structure, reason and experience both forhid us to 
expect, that national m,orality can prevail in exclu- 
sion of religious principled The position here present- 
ed, briefly, but expHcitly, appears plainly to be this. — 
'^ There is not in man, unassisted by religion, strength 
enough to ensure a moral life ; nor motives accessible to 
him, sufficient to dissuade from vice, or persuade to virtue ; 
or in other words, — the corruption of human nature is 
such, that immorality of life will certainly ensue, if the 
depraved principle is not subdued, and the heart purified 
by a divine influence ; religion being the consecrated 
channel of that influence, operating on the soul directly 
by grace applied, or indirectly by motives competent to 
sway the reason and control the affections." It may be 
said, that there is in the text, a concession, admitting an 
exception to the main position of the writer. That a 
moral life may sometimes exist without religious principle, 
through '• the influence of refined education, on minds of 
peculiar structure," is the exception alluded to. This, 
however, is not positively asserted by the author, but as 
it would seem, reluctantly " conceded." Nor does this 
admission on his part, involve any surrender of the prin- 
ciple laid down, nothing being therein allowed, but what 
the scriptures admit, and experience attests, with certain 
limitations. 

That the principal doctrine here maintained is, by no 

means, a favourite one with the world, is well known ; nor 

is it always admitted in so unqualified a sense, by some, 

who profess acquiescence in the truth of Christianity. It 

7* 



78 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

is, in fact, a view held only witli decision, by the most 
evangehcal rehgious communions. The natural man 
does not readily discern, nor his heart admit, that all hu- 
man goodness — that every social and domestic virtue, to 
be perfect, must have its source in the principles of rehgion, 
implanted in the soul by a divine power. Human pride, 
disdaining reliance on supernatural aid, for those moral 
accomplishments which sustain its loudest boast, repels 
with scorn, a doctrine, which aims its blows unsparingly, 
at the foundation of its fondly-cherished and vaunted self- 
sufficiency. 

But is not the truth in question, however refused and 
contradicted, susceptible of an ample and satisfactory 
vindication ? Does it assert that, ordinarily, the life will 
be bad, where the restraints of religion do not exist ? And 
may not this proposition be easily sustained ? If man is 
a depraved creature, as all experience shows him to be, 
what will probably be his life, if left to the unrestrained 
impulse of his own wayward inclinations ? Is it as true 
in the moral, as in the physical world, that nothing can rise 
above its level ? Can a " clean thing be brought out of 
an unclean?'' Will not the stream partake of the na- 
ture of the fountain ? — the fruit of the quality of the tree ? 
" Does the same fountain send forth sweet waters and bit- 
ter?" <'Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of this- 
tles % ■' Is there any result more certain, as a consequence 
of man's moral constitution, than a hfe of unlimited in- 
dulgence, where the lusts and desires of the mind are 
inordinate, and the means of gratification within his 
reach ? This effect must follow the violence of passion, 
operating on a mind destitute of moral ability, or of inch- 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 79 

nation to resist the seducing charms of sensual and 
worldly good. 

Is it, howev er, denied that Passion is irresistible, and a 
sufficiency of moral strength claimed for man, to author- 
ize a belief in the theory of Human Virtue. Where, then, 
apart from religion, do you find motives, by which the 
love of pleasure may be dethroned, and that of moral 
excellence made supreme. What inducements can be 
held out, which shall operate effectually upon the under- 
standing, as well as upon the affections ? If the under- 
standing does give its cold approbation, will your boasted 
motives be able to curb the fury of the passions when 
roused into a tempest ? Whence, then, are they derived / 
From a philosophic love of goodness for its own sake, or 
an estimate of the delights arising from its practice, or 
from calculations, as to the comparative advantages of Vice 
and Virtue ? And what are these to a man in the hour 
of temptation ? When passion stimulates, and appetite 
goads him, of what avail to restrain and allay the tumult 
of the soul, will fine spun moral theories be ? Or of what 
avail, the intmiation of future inconveniences, which may 
never arrive, or if they do, may not be serious or difficult 
to bear? 

In excluding religion, then, there is no other influ- 
ence left, by which the conduct of mankind can be 
controlled. No agency exists for rectifying the disor- 
ders of the soul, nor does any motive remain, of sufficient 
power, to operate on the judgment, or affect the heart. 
Such a system, therefore, of necessity, is destructive of all 
genuine morality, and giving up mankind at large, to 
the Wind and lawless impulses of sinful passions, turns 



80 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

the world into a dreary scene of confusion, tumult, 
and crime. 

In regard to the concession^ implying the efficacy 
of causes, other than those of religion, in producing the 
fruits of moralit)'' — there is no ground for serious doubt 
as to the fact. Many there are in society, who have been 
rendered useful members thereof, by influences, far less 
sacred than those, which come down from above. Refined 
education, good examples, respectable associations, a high 
standard of morals in the community, a regard to secular 
interest — all these have great power over the minds of 
men, inspiring them with just and liberal sentiments, 
and gradually new-modeling the character, making them 
upright, honest, truthful, humane, gentle, courteous. — 
And yet, so far do these things fall short of the fruits of 
true religion, in respect to uniformity of result, number, 
and quality of the virtues produced — that the principle 
of the " Address," remains unshaken, by all that has been 
conceded. Of how much greater worth, then, will that 
principle appear, when it is remembered, that besides 
the morality arising from other causes, being of meagre 
and stunted growth — it is but a very small proportion 
of mankind, that share even this equivocal and unequal 
agency. This one consideration, of itself, furnishes a con- 
clusive answer to every vain objection, and gives irresis- 
tible energy to the argument in favour of that divine 
system, which, all-powerful to bless, alone can become 
universal, and influential aUke with high and low, rich 
and poor, bond and free. 

As further illustrative and explanatory of the views 
contained in the important extract, on the statements of 
which we have ventured a few reflections, it is proposed 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 81 

to introduce here some remarks, made by distinguished 
authors, hving and dead, in reference to the same points. 
It will be found, that these remarks reflect an important 
light on the object of our present investigation. 

We submit, in the first place, some appropriate obser- 
vations, from the distinguished pen of Robert Hall, 
published in England, in the year 1800— about four 
years after the pubhcation of the " Farewell Address." 
The subject of his remarks, was " Modern Infidelity," as 
then, and for some years before, widely prevalent in 
Europe. The beauty of the sentiments, and their 
relation to the subject in hand, will no doubt excuse the 
length of the citation. 

" The skeptical or irreligious system, subverts the whole 
foundation of morals. It may be assumed, as a maxim, 
that no person can be required to act contrary to his 
greatest good, or his highest interest, comprehensively 
viewed in relation to the whole duration of his being. 
It is often our duty, to forego our own interest partially/, 
to sacrifice a smaller pleasure for the sake of a greater, 
to incur a present evil in pursuit of a distant good of more 
consequence. In a word, to arbitrate among interfering 
claims of inchnation, is the moral arithmetic of human 
life. But to risk the happiness of the whole duration oi 
our being in any case whatever, were it possible, would 
be foolish ; because the sacrifice must by the nature of 
it, be so great, as to preclude the possibility of com- 
pensation. 

'• As the present world, on skeptical principles, is the 
only place of recompense, whenever the practice of 
virtue fails to promote the greatest sum of present good- 
cases which often occur in reality, and much oftener in 



RELIGlOItfb OPINIONS AND 



appearance — every motive to virtuous conduct is super- 
seded ; a deviation from rectitude becomes the part of 
wisdom ; and should the path of virtue, in addition to this, 
be obstructed by disgrace, torment or death, to persevere, 
would be madness and folly, and a violation of the first 
and most essential law of nature. Virtue, on these 
principles, being in numberless instances, at war with 
self-preservation, never can or ought to become, a fixed 
habit of the mind. 

" The system of infidehty is not only incapable 
of arming virtue for great and trying occasions, but 
leaves it unsupported in the most ordinary occurrences. 
In vain will its advocates appeal to a moral sense, to 
benevolence, and sympathy; for it is undeniable, that 
these impulses may be overcome. In vain will they 
expatiate on the tranquillity and pleasure attendant on 
a virtuous course : for, though you may remind the 
offender, that in disregarding them, he has violated his 
nature, and that a conduct consistent with them, is 
productive of much internal satisfaction ; yet, if he reply 
that his taste is of a diiTerent sort, that there are other 
gratifications which he values more, and that every 
man must choose his own pleasures, the argument is at 
an end. 

'• Rewards and punishments, assigned by infinite 
power, afford a palpable and pressing motive, which can 
never be neglected, without renouncing the character of 
a rational creature : but tastes and relishes, are not to be 
prescribed. 

"A motive, in which the reason of man shall acquiesce, 
enforcing the practice of virtue at all times and seasons, 
enters into the very essence of moral obligation. Modern 



CHAHACTER OF WASHINGTON. 83 

infidelity supplies no such motives : it is, therefore, essen- 
tially and infallibly, a system of enervation, turpitude, 
and vice. 

" This chasm in the construction of morals, can only 
be supplied, by the firm belief of a rewarding and aveng- 
ing Deity, icho hinds duty and happiness, though' 
they 7nay seem distant, i7i a7i indissoluble chain; 
without which, whatever usurps the name of virtue, is 
not a principle, but a feeling; not a determinate rule, 
but a fluctuating expedient, varying with the tastes of 
individuals, and changing with the scenes of life. 

" Nor is this the only way, in which infidelity subverts 
the foundation of morals. All reasoning on morals 
presupposes a distinction between inclinations and 
duties, affections and rules. The former prompt, the 
latter prescribe. The former supply motives to action ; 
the latter regulate and control it. Hence, it is evident, 
if virtue have any just claim to authority, it must be 
under the latter of these notions ; that is, vmder the cha- 
racter of a law. It is under this notion, in fact, that its 
dominion has ever been acknowledged to be paramount 
and supreme. 

" But without the intervention of a superior will, it is 
impossible there should be any moral laws, except in 
the lax metaphorical sense, in which we speak of the 
laws of matter and motion. Men being essentially equal, 
morality is only a stipulation, or silent compact, into 
which every individual is supposed to enter, as far as 
suits his convenience, and for the breach of which, he 
is accountable to nothing but his own mind. His own 
mind is his law, his tribunal, and his judge ! 

*'Two consequences, the most disastrous to society, 



84 RELIGIOtJ^pPINIONS AND 

will inevitabl}^ follow the general prevalence of this 
system ; — the frequent perpetration of great crimes, and 
the total absence of great virtues. 

'' I. In those conjunctures which tempt avarice, or 
inflame ambition, when a crime flatters with the prospect 
of impunity, and the certainty of immense advantage-, 
what is to restrain an atheist from its commission ? To 
say that remorse \\\\\ deter him, is absurd ; for remorse, 
as distinguished from pity, is the sole offspring of religious 
belief, the extinction of which, is the great purpose of the 
infidel philosophy. 

'• The dread of punishment, or infamy, from his fellow- 
creatures, will be an ecjually ineffectual barrier ; because, 
crimes are only committed under such circumstances, as 
giiopcrest the hope of concealm^ent : not to say that crimes 
themselves will soon lose their infamy and their horror, 
under the influences of that system, which destroys the 
sanctity of virtue, by converting it into a low calculation of 
worldly interest. Here, the sense of an ever-present Ruler^ 
and of an avenging Judge, is of the most awful and indis- 
pensable necessity ; as it is that alone which impresses on 
all crimes the character oi folly, shows that duty and in- 
terest in every instance coincide^ and, that the most 
prosperous career of vice, the most brilliant successes of 
criminahty, are but an accumulation of ir rath against 
the day of wrath. 

'' As the frequent perpetration of great crimes, is an 
inevitable consequence of the difiusion of skeptical prin- 
ciples, so, to understand this consequence in its full ex- 
tent, we nuist look beyond their immediate effects, and 
consider the disruption of social ties, the destruction of 
confidence, the terror, suspicion, and hatred, which 
must prevail in that state of society, in which barbarous 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTQN. 85 

deeds are familiar. The tranquillity which pervades a 
well-ordered community, and the mutual good offices 
which bind its members together, are founded on an im- 
pUed confidence in the indisposition to annoy, in the 
justice, humanity, and moderation of those among whom 
we dwell. So that the worst consequence of crimes 
is, that they impair the stock of public charity, and 
general tenderness. The dread and hatred of our spe- 
cies would infallibly be grafted on a conviction that we 
were exposed, every moment, to the surges of an unbridled 
ferocity, and that nothing, but the power of the magistrate 
stood between us and the daggers of assassins. In such 
a state, laws, deriving no support from pubhc manners, 
are unequal to the task of curbing the fury of the 
passions; which, from being concentrated into selfish- 
ness, fear, and revenge, acquire new force. Terror and 
suspicion beget cruelty, and inflict injuries by way of 
prevention. Pity is extinguished in the stronger impulse 
of self-preservation. The tender and generous aflfections 
are crushed, and nothing is seen but the retaliation of 
wrongs, the fierce, and unmitigated struggle for superiority. 
This is but a faint sketch of the incalculable calamities 
and horrors v>^e must expect, should we be so unfortunate 
as ever to witness the triumph of modern infidelity. 

" 2. This system is a soil as banen of great and 
sublime virtues, as it is prolific in crimes. By great and 
sublime virtues, are meant those which are called into 
action on great and trying occasions, which demand the 
sacrifice of the dearest interests and prospects of human 
life, and sometimes of five itself : the virtues, in a word, 
which by their rarity and splendour draw admiration, 
and have rendered illustrious the character of patriots, 



S6 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

martyrs, and confessors. It requires but little reflection 
to perceive, that whatever veils a future world, and 
contracts the hmits of existence, within the present life, 
must tend, in a proportionable degree, to diminish the 
grandeur, and narrow the sphere of human agency. 

"As well might you expect exalted sentiments of 
justice from a professed gamester, as look for noble prin- 
ciples in the man whose hopes and fears are all suspend- 
ed on the present moment, and who stakes the whole 
happiness of his being on the events of this vain and 
fleeting life. If he be ever impelled to the performance 
of great achievements, in a good cause, it must be solely 
by the hope of fame ; a motive which, besides that it 
makes virtue the servant of opinion, usually grows 
weaker at the approach of death, and which, however 
it may surmount the love of existence in the heat of 
battle, or in the moment of public observation, can 
seldom be expected to operate with much force on the 
retired duties of a private station. 

"In affirming that infidelity is unfavourable to the 
higher class of virtues, we are supported, as well by facts, 
as by reasoning. We should be sorry to load cur ad- 
versaries with unmeiited reproach : but to what history? 
to what record will they appeal, for the traits of moral 
greatness exhibited by their disciples ? Where shall we 
look for the trophies of infidel magnanimity, or atheistical 
virtue ? Not that we mean to accuse them of inactivity : 
they have recently filled the world with the fame of 
their exploits ; exploits of a different kind indeed, but of 
imperishable memory and disastrous lustre. 

" Though it is confessed, great and splendid actions 
are not the ordinary employment of life, but must, from 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 87 

their nature, be reserved for high and eminent occasions ; 
yet that system is essentially defective which leaves no 
room for their production. They are important, both 
from their immediate advantage and their remoter in- 
fluence. They often save, and always illustrate^ the 
age and nation in lohich they appear. They raise 
the standard of morals ; they arrest the progress of 
degeneracy ; they diffuse a lustre over the path of life : 
monuments of the greatness of the human soul, they 
present to the world the august image of virtue in her 
sublimest form, from which streams of light and glory 
issue to remote times and ages, while their commemor- 
ation, by the pen of historians and poets, awakens, in dis- 
tant bosoms, the sparks of kindred excellence. 

'• Combine the frequent and familiar perpetration of 
atrocious deeds with the dearth of great and generous 
actions, and you have the exact picture of that condition 
of society which complete the degradation of the speciess — 
the frightful contrast of dwarfish virtues and gigantic 
vices, where every thing good is mean and little, and 
every thing evil is rank and luxuriant : a dead and 
sickening uniformity prevails, broken only at intervals 
by volcanic eruptions of anarchy and crime." 

We have before us the views of another author, so 
fully concurring in the tenet under consideration, and so 
amply confirming it, by his lucid expositions of sacred 
truth, that we cannot forbear inserting his excellent re- 
marks. The author, (Dr. Wardlaw, of Glasgow,) in 
one, of a series of " Lectures on Christian Ethics," re- 
cently delivered by him, has the following language : — 

^' As there is a necessary harmony between the divine 
character and the divine will^ whatever contains in it 



88 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

an intimation that ' God is light,' and that ' God is love/ 
may be regarded as containing in it also a voice to all 
his intelligent creatures. ' Be ye holy, for I am holy ;' 
' Be ye merciful, as your Father, who is in heaven, is 
merciful.' This is, in truth, the sum of human virtue, 
and the sum of the motives to the practice of it : and 
this, were the ftars of men but open to hpnr it, is the 
concurrent voice of providence, and of revelation. By 
this remark, I am naturally led to the proper subject of 
the present discourse, the ideiitity of morality and re- 
ligion ; a subject, which the preceding observations 
have not only been intended to introduce, but in part 
prospectively, to illustrate. 

" The words which I read as my text, express, with 
clearness and emphasis, this identity ; ' This is the love 
of God, that we keep his commandments.' The ' keep- 
ing of God's commandments' is a comprehensive defi- 
nition of morality ; ' the love of God' is the sum of re- 
ligious principle ; and the text affirms, ' This is the 
love of God, that we keep his commandments,' The 
meaning is, that there is no love of God without the 
keeping of his commandments ; and that there is no 
keeping of his commandments without love to God : a 
statement which amounts to the same thing as this 

other, THAT THERE IS NO RELIGION WITHOUT MO- 
RALITY, AND THAT THERE IS NO MORALITY WITHOUT 

RELIGION. He who loves God keeps the command- 
ments in principle ; he who keeps the commandments 
loves God in action. Love is obedience in the heart ; 
obedience is love in the life. Morality, then, is re- 
ligion i7i practice ; religion is morality in principle. 
f' I know few things more preposterous in theory, or 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 89 

more mischievous in effect, than the prevailing divorce 
between religion and morality : the manner in which 
they are not only spoken of, in the current vocabulary 
of the world, but even treated in the disquisitions of philo- 
sophy, as if they were separable and separate things. 
As to the worldj you cannot but be aware how indefinite 
is the meaning of virtue j and with what variety of ap- 
plication, but in them all with what convenient vague- 
ness and generality, the designation is bestowed of a 
good man. On Change, the good man is the man who 
has sufficient means, and sufficient honour, to pay his 
debts. In the ordinary intercourse of life, its most com- 
mon application is to the relative and social virtues, and 
especially those which impart confidence between man 
and man ; without which, it is universally felt, the 
transactions of business would be at a stand, the mutual 
dependence of men upon each other could have no salu- 
tary operation, and the very frame-work of society 
would be dissolved. 

•• These virtues, the virtues of truth, and integrity, and 
honour, especially when united with generosity and 
practical kindness, will secure the designation, although 
there should be no very rigid adherence to those of tem- 
perance and chastity ; but if these, in any unusual de- 
gree, are united with the formei-, the man becomes a 
paragon of goodness, the very best of men, and sure of 
heaven, if any on earth are. The union described is a 
rarity, except under the superadded influence of religious 
principle : but we shall suppose it. We shall suppose a 
man personally chaste and sober in his habits of life, 
amiable in its domestic relations, honourable in all its 
transactions, veracious in every utterance, and faithful 

8* 



90 REL1GIO0F OPINIONS AND 

in every trust ; and withal, humane and generous in his 
disposition and practice ; what, it may be added, can be 
wished for more? 'Wliat laclveth he yet?' I answer, 
in one word, godliness ; that which is entitled to the 
precedence of all these virtues — nay, more, that which 
ought to preside over them all, and to infuse its spirit in- 
to them all, and without which they are destitute of the 
very first principle of true morality. 

" But it is not in the customary phraseology of the 
world only, and the loose conceptions of which that 
phraseology is the vehicle, that religion and morahty 
are severed. It is lamentable to find, in the writings of 
ethical philosophers, the same dissociating principle ; 
discussions on morals, such as would require no very ma- 
terial alteration to accommodate them to atheism; and 
even, at times, in the treatises of philosophical divines, so 
indistinct a recognition of the basis on which the whole 
system of ethics ought ever to rest. It is far otherwise 
in the Holy Scriptures : and I cannot but regard the 
manner in this, and other respects, in which these writ- 
ings uniformly treat the subject of morals, as forming 
one, and not the least considerable, of the internal 
evidences of their divine original. It is one of the dis- 
tinguishing peculiarities of all Bible morality, that it be- 
gins ivith God, — that it makes godliness its first and 
fundamental principle. The first commandment, in the 
moral code of the Bible, is a requisition for God : ' Thou 
shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all 
thy soul, with all thy strength, and with all thy mind/ 
Thus God stands first. For him is claimed the throne 
of the heart. The foundation of all morals is laid in 
devotion : no right moral principle is there admitted to 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON 91 

exist, independent of a primary and supreme regard to 
Deity. No true goodness is acknowledged without this. 
There is no such anomaly to be found there, as that 
which meets us so frequently in the nomenclature of the 
world's morality — a good heart, or a good man, without 
the principles and sentiments of godliness. According to 
its representations, the religious principle is the first prin- 
ciple of all morals ;— a good heart is a heart in which 
the fear and the love of God reign ; and a good man, a 
man of whose life the love and the fear of God are the 
uniform regulators. Every thing assuming the name of 
virtue, that has not these principles for its foundation, is 
there set aside, as coin that has not the image and 
superscription of Heaven, ' reprobate silver' — ' weighed 
in the balances and found wanting.' " 

The incidental remarks of this author, respecting the 
virtuous deportment of some worldly men, might be re- 
ferred to as shedding light upon the concession before 
alluded to on the same subject. But this point is so 
fully and beautifully unfolded by another distinguished 
living writer, and his remarks are so strikingly confirm- 
atory of the implied views of Washington, that the in- 
dulgence of our readers must be asked for a few of his 
eloquent observations. The hand of a master will be 
traced in the graphic sketches annexed. 

In a Discourse on " The Emptiness of Natural Vir- 
tue," Dr. Chalmers writes : " Let us suppose the heart to 
be furnished, not merely with the finest sensibilities of 
our nature, but with its most upright and honourable 
principles. Let us conceive a man, whose pulse beats 
high with the pride of integrity ; whose every word car- 
ries security along with it; whose faithfukiess in the 



82 RELIGIOUS^PINIONS AND 

walks of business, has stood the test of many fluctua- 
«tions ; who, amid all the varieties of his fortune, has 
nobly sustained the glories of an untainted character ; 
and whom we see, by the salutations of the market- 
place, to be acknowledged and revered by all, as the 
most respectable of the citizens. Now, which of the two 
great regions of human character shall we make him to 
occupy ? This question depends on another. May all 
this manly elevation of soul, and of sentiment, stand dis- 
united in the same heart, with the influence of the 
authority of God, or that love of God which is the keep- 
ing of the commandments? The discerning eye of 
Hume saw that it could ; and he tells us, that natural 
honesty of temper is a better security for the faithfulness 
of a man's doings, than all the authority of religion 
over him. We deny the assertion ; but the distinction 
between the two principles on which it proceeds is indis- 
putable. There is a principle of honour, apart in the 
human mind altogether from any reference to the reali- 
ties of a spiritual world. It varies in the intensity of its 
operation, with different individuals. It has the chance 
of being more entire, when kept aloof from the tempta- 
tions of poverty ; and therefore it is, that lue more fre- 
quently meet with it in the ^ij)per and middling 
classes of life. And we can conceive it so strong in its 
original influence, or so grateful to the possessor, from 
the elevating consciousness which goes along with it, 
or so nourished by the voice of an applauding world, as 
to throw all the glories of a romantic chivaliy over the 
character of him with whom God is as much unthought 
of, as he is unseen. We are far from refusing our admir- 
ation. But we are saying, that the Being who brought 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON 93 

this noble specimen of our nature into existence; who 
fitted his heart for all its high and generous emotions ; 
who threw a theatre around him for the display and 
exercise of his fine moral accomplishments ; who furnish- 
ed each of his admirers with a heart to appreciate his 
worth, and a voice to pour into his ear the flattering 
expression of it; the Being whose hand upholds and 
perpetuates the whole of tliia illuetrimis exhibition, may 
all the while be forgotten, and unnoticed as a thing of no 
consequence. We are merely saying, that the man whose 
heart is occupied with a sentiment of honour, and is at 
the same time unoccupied with a sense of Him, w^ho is 
the first and greatest of spiritual beings, is not a spiritual 
man. But, if not spiritual, we are told in the Bible, 
that there are only two terms in the alternative, and he 
must be carnal. And the God whom he has disregard- 
ed in time, will find, that in the praises and enjoyments 
of time, he has gotten all his reward, and that he owes 
him no recompense in Eternity. 

Again ; " Now it carries us at once to the bottom of 
this delusion to observe, that though the religious princi- 
ple can never exist, without ths amiable and virtuous 
conduct of the New Testament, yet that conduct may, 
in some measure, be maintained, without the religious 
principle. A man may be led to precisely the same 
conduct, on the impulse of many different principles : — 
he may be gentle, because it is a prescription of the divine 
law ; or, he may be gentle, because he is naturally of a 
peaceful, or indolent constitution ; or, he may be gentle, 
because he sees it to be an amiable gracefulness, with 
which he wishes to adorn his own character ; or, he 
may be gentle, because it is the ready way of perpetuating 



94 RELIGIOT^^PINIONS AND 

the friendship of those around him ; or, he may be gen- 
tle, because taught to observe it as a part of courtly and 
fashionable deportment, and lohat ivas unplanted hy 
education^ may come in time to be confirmed, by habit 
and experience. Now, it is only under the first of these 
principles, that there is any religion in gentleness. The 
other principles may produce all the outward appear- 
ance of this virtue, and much even of its mward com- 
placency, and yet be as distinct from the religious prin- 
ciple, as they are distinct from one another. To infer 
the strength of the religious principle, from the taste of 
the human mind, for what is graceful and lovely in cha- 
racter, would just be as preposterous, as to infer it from 
the admiration of a fine picture, or a cultivated landscape. 
They are not to be confounded. They occupy a differ- 
ent place, even in the classifications of philosophy. We 
do not deny, that the admiration of what is fine in 
character, is a principle of a higher order, than the ad- 
miration of what is fine in external scenery. So is a 
taste for what is beautiful, in the prospect before us, a prin- 
ciple of a higher order, than a taste for the sensualities of 
the epicure. But they, one and all of them, stand at a 
wide distance from the rehgious principle : and whether 
it be taste, or temper, or the love of popularity, or the 
high impulse of honourable feeling, or even the love of 
truth, and a natural principle of integrity ; the virtues in 
question may be so unconnected with religion, as to 
flourish in the world, and be rewarded by its admiration, 
even though God were expunged from the belief, and 
immortality from the prospects of the species." 

In these extracts we have the opinions contained 
in the Addj^ess fully explained, and its doctrines carried 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 95 

out and established. In the ampler illustrations 'and 
minuter developments furnished by these writers, the 
intelligent reader will, no doubt, take pleasure in tracing 
the intrinsic meaning and legitimate bearing of Washing- 
ton's principles — by which he must have been conducted 
to similar conclusions, had it comported with the object 
before him to expatiate in the same field, over which it 
was then professional privilege and duty to nange at 
large. The views maintained by him and them are 
manifestly the same. They all teach, substantially, that 
without religion there is no morality, through lack of 
motive to produce the result. Or if this effect may 
exist in a measure^ in the case of some individuals 
sharing special propitious influences— such a life will be 
confined to a few favoured persons — whilst the mass of 
mankind, cut off from their advantages, the social state 
must be dissolved through the inevitable prevalence of 
crime. The special application of the doctrine to the 
interests of another life, which it belonged more particu- 
larly to some of the writers to enforce - is a fair use of 
the principle, and one which properly attaches to its due 
practical exhibition. The doctrine then, we say, was 
essentially the same as held by them all. In the views 
of the one, we had, as it were, the vital seed of immortal 
truth ; in the writings of the others, we have the full- 
blown and variegated flower. In the one, we had the 
un wrought, massy bullion ; in the others, we have the 
same beat out and fashioned variously for ornament 
and for use. Considering the different circumstances 
and aims of the writers, the correspondence in their 
productions will appear suflftciently remarkable, and in- 
dicating a common fountain as the source of opinions so 



96 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

harmonious and consistent with each other. If it should 
be objected by any that the statements contained in the 
Address are brief and compressed, we may answer, that 
it was obviously fit, in such a document, that the author, 
feeling the responsibility of his peculiar position, should 
commend the subject of religion to his countrymen. But 
it was equally fit that hints ^ merely, should be thrown 
out. More than this, the spirit of the age would not 
bear. Religion was regarded with jealousy in connexion 
with politics. There was necessity, then, for caution, in 
preparing such a paper as the one before us. While 
fidelity demanded decision and explicitness on the one 
hand, prudence required moderation and generality of 
statement, on the other. There must be truth in the 
exposition, but truth in its least offensive form. 

That Washington was under the influence of these 
considerations is manifest. Had it been fit that he 
should, on such an occasion, speak out more fully — that 
he should enlarge on the truth, the reality, and the eflicacy 
of religion, and of morahty, as its genuine fruit — would 
he have wanted words or thoughts ? Did not a mind, 
teeming with clear and rational conceptions on these 
topics, prompt the ardent language used, when he says : — 
" A VOLUME could uot tvace all their connexions with 
'private ayid public felicity?^ — It was not, then, the 
want of sympathy with the subject, or the lack of 
knowledge ; but the nature of the document, and the 
proprieties of his station, which restrained his usually 
prohfic pen. 

Without regarding the question of Washington's faith 
in the word of God, as needing any additional confirm- 
ation, we will yet quote one brief paragraph from his 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 97 

last will and testament, as furnishing a touching proof 
of his sincerity : — 

'' To the Rev. now Bryan Lord Fairfax* I give a 
Bible, in three large folio volumes, with notes presented 
to me by the Right Rev. Thomas Wilson^ ^ bishop of 
Sodor and Man. " 

Gen. Washington wrote the will, from which the 
above was taken, but a few months before his death. 
Admonished, by the rapid approach of old age, to set 
his house in order, and prepare for another world, he 
makes, among other bequests, the very significant one 
before us, in favour of an old, valued, and highly respect- 
able friend. He, doubtless, thought the legacy worthy 
of his acceptance. 

We shall conclude the present chapter with the testi- 
mony of Chief Justice Marshall. He had been the 
personal friend, the frequent associate, and was now the 
])iographer of Washington. With the best opportunities 

* Mr. Fairfax was an Episcopal clerg^^man. Daring the latter 
years of his life, he became the eighth and last Lord Fairfax— the 
title having descended to him through Robert Fairfax, from Thomas 
Lord Fairfox, ofGreenway Court, Frederick county, Virginia. His 
own residence was in Fairfax county. 

t Was not Gen. Washington mistaken in ascribing this gift to the 
Right Rev. Thomas Wilson, Bishop of Sodor and Man ? The bishop 
died in March, 1755, some months before Braddock's defeat— anterior 
to which event, Washington did not enjoy much celebrity. Bishop 
Wilson could scarcely have known that such a person was in being. 
But the bishop left an only son— the Rev. Thomas Wilson, D.D., a man 
of wealth, and like his honoured fother, distinguished for piety and ac- 
tive benevolence. He died, an old man, in the year 1784, when 
Washiofftou's fame had filled Europe. Attracted by the character of 
the AftiRicancommAnder-in-chief, he was no doubt the author of the 
present. The Bible sent may have belonged to the bishop, his 
excellent father. 

9 



98 RELIGIO^ OPINIONS AND 

of learning his opinions, and observing his habits, he 



'' Without making ostentatious professions of rehgion,* 
he (Washington) was a sincere believer in the Christian 
faith, and a truly devout man."t 

* "What the precise import of this disclaimer is, touching " ostenta- 
tious professions of religion," does not seem to be perfectly clear. If 
the allusion is to Washington's reserve and taciturnity on this, as on 
other subjects, in the ordinary intercourse of life, then the remark is no 
doubt just. His nice sense of propriety always prevented him from 
obtruding his religious opinions upon his best friends, much more was 
he restrained by his knowledge of men from troubling those with the 
subject to whom he knew it to be strange or disagreeable. He would 
not thus "cast his pearls before swine:" But certainly no public 
man, in this, or in any other country, ever availed himself more uni- 
formly of every fit occasion for declaring his sentiments. Seldom, it 
would appear, did he suffer an opportunity to escape him, without 
bearing his solemn testimony to the importance and necessity of 
religion. In this respect, he truly " let his light shine before men." 

t Life of Washington, vol. ii., p. 445, abridged edition. 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 99 



CHAPTER III. 

HIS VIEWS OP DIVINE PROVIDENCE. 

There are few doctrines of religion about which men 
are more divided, than that of the Providence of God. 
They are indeed generally united as to the fact of a 
providence exercised over the world, but are very widely 
separated in opinion as to its nature. According to the 
system of some, there is a general^ but not ?^articular^ 
Providence, displayed in the affairs of men. The Deity 
is regarded as having originally impressed upon the ma- 
chinery of the universe those great laws which he in- 
tended should govern it, and having done so, leaves it 
to roll on with a process so uniform and settled, that no 
departure from its great leading operations may ever be 
expected. 

That this is a cold and comfortless speculation, must 
be admitted by all. But it is as irrational, as it is gloomy. 
It certainly is entirely at variance with the animating 
disclosures of Revelation. Indeed the whole theory is 
based upon a gratuitous assumption, unsupported, save 
by the fancy of its framers. For how is it known that 
the Author of all things has so settled and fixed the laws 
of hiAjiingdom that the possibility of departure has been 
excluded. How do we know, in fact, what is uniformity, 
and what irregularity? That which we may call a 



100 RELIGI^S OPINIONS AND 

detour^ in the march of his laws, may be only the result 
of a primeval impulse given them. It is impossible for 
us to know what principles the Almighty has thought 
proper to adopt for the government of his universe.* We 
talk of the order of Nature, and of the great principles 
which prevail therein, and of the straight-forward course, 
and the overwhelming energy of its powers ; and having 
settled it, in our minds, that such is the system adopted 
by the Creator, we forthwith apply this ideal standard 
to every thing extraordinary in the occurrences of 
earth. Thus a miracle, no matter how unexceptionable 
in regard to the design of its performance, or how well 
attested by credible witnesses— is at once cried down 
as a fraud upon the senses, because, forsooth, it is in oppo- 
sition to a theory having for its basis our experience of 
the uniformity of Nature. It is, in the mean time, for- 
gotten by the objector, that his experience is very limited, 
and that the experience of another man may be the very 
reverse of his. He rejects what is credibly reported to 
him as extraordinary, because he has never seen, or 
heard, or felt, any thing of the kind, yet is strangely 
offended because his informer believes what he has seen, 
heard, and felt. The same inconsistency marks the 
decision to which some men come, in regard to events, 
involving merely a digression, as it were, and not a sus- 
pension, of the laws of the universe. Every thing of 
this kind, in the course of events, is held to be strange 



♦ " Now, general laws," (says the Edinburgh Review, No. 100.) 
*' however, for the most part, undiscovered by us, govern alike^ie con- 
stituton of our nature, and the course of events," &c. — 4pn the 
general laws, then, which govern us are undiscovered,,^ 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 101 

and unaccountable, and rather to be ascribed to chance, 
or accident, than to any direct agency of God. 

Whilst we, by no means, call in question the syste- 
matic action of Deity, in carrying on the affairs of his 
universal kingdom, yet we do object to a rigid adjust- 
ment of the principles of his system by the mere dictum 
of human authority. We do not doubt that there is a 
beautiful order in the Divine operations, and that they all 
tend, with infinite harmony, to some great and good re- 
sult. And yet we are assured that the Almighty is as 
methodical, in deviating from his ordinary course, as he is 
in the most regular and uniform of his processes. 

It is not, then, in disparagement of a general, that we 
contend for a particular Providence. The terms, in 
truth, should not be set in opposition to each other. The 
Providence of God is both general and particular. He 
acts by general laws in the government of his pniverse, 
physical and moral ; and yet can bend them, at any mo- 
ment, to the production of any given result, as he may, in 
his sovereign pleasure, see fit ; whether at the beseeching 
voice of his humble and dependant creatures, or from other 
motives which may arise to sway his Divine agency. Nor 
is there, in all this, any want of foresight, or any thing hke 
variableness, or mutability implied. It is Deity in motion, 
for the accomplishment of the greatest amount of good, in 
the way which seems best in his sight. " Many persons," 
says a judicious writer, " when they hear any eventspoken 
of as providential, seem to understand it as signifying, 
that all the circumstances which have conduced to bring it 
aboutjMiave been arranged for that particular purpose, 
and ineft to their natural course, they would have pro- 
duced different results. But I consider this to be a com- 

9* 



102 RELIGKMp OPINIONS AND 

plete misapprehension. The doctrine of an over-ruIing^ 
Providence does not imply the interruption of the regular 
operations of cause and effect in nature, any more than 
our seeing these operations proceed regularly, proves that 
there is no such thing as an over-ruhng Providence.'' 
Here we have the sublimity of the general, with the 
comfort of the particular Providence of God. He now 
wheels the planets in their courses, and preserves the 
host of heaven, in unfading splendour, and yet guards the 
feeble sparrow, so that it cannot fall to the ground with- 
out Him. He preserves the seasons, in their unwearied 
rounds, causing summer and winter, night and day, 
seed-time and harvest, to follow each other in regular 
and constant successions — and yet he controls the ele- 
ments at his pleasure. When he would punish, he 
" makes the heavens above, brass, and the earth be- 
neath, iron." He " commands the clouds that they 
rain no ram." He " sends the palmer- Avorm, the cater- 
pillar, and the locust." Sometimes he " causes it to rain 
upon one city, and not upon another — to rain upon one 
piece, and not upon another." Or, would he reward and 
bless, he then reverses these dispensations, and causes 
those who obey Him to rejoice in all " good things." 

Such we conceive to be the testimony of the Holy 
Scriptures, on the subject before us, and, in accordance 
with these views, have been the sentiments of the majo- 
rity of believers in Christianity. 

That such were the views of the distinguished subject 
of our present work, admits of evidence as satisfactory 
as the reflection is gratifying. The abundant {^oof is 
furnished by his writings of every date. It was one of 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 103 

the earliest and the latest of those convictions,' by which 
his life was materially governed. 

It is proposed to draw from his writings, pubhshed* 
and unpublished, the proofs of his opinions. In these 
productions of his diligent pen, marked, as they are, by 
the frankness and sincerity which ever characterized 
him, we have his undissembled thoughts and feelings on 
this, as on other topics. If our quotations should be nu- 
merous, we hope they will prove interesting for the piety 
of the allusions, as well as for their historical associations. 

In a letter to Gov. Dinwiddle, dated Great Meadows, 
June 10, 1754, when in the 23d year of his age, v;e 
have the following striking acknowledgment of a parti- 
cular Providential interposition, in supplying, with pro- 
visions, the troops recently placed under his command. 

'^ We have been six days without flour, and there is 
none upon the road for our relief that we know of, though 
I have, by repeated expresses, given him timely notice. 
We have not provisions of any sort enough in camp to 
serve us two days. Once before w^e should have been 
four days w^ithout provisions, if Providence had not sent 
a trader from the Ohio to our relief, for whose flour I was 
obliged to give twenty-one shillings and eight-pence per 
hundred." 

In a letter to his brother, John A. Washington, written 
a few days after Braddock's defeat, he says, in reference 
to his own wonderful preservation on that memorable 
occasion : 

"By the all-powerful dispensations of Providence I 
have l|een protected beyond all human probability, or 

*_We shall mainly rely upon his " Writings," as recently edited and 
published by J. Sparks. 



104 RELIGIO^ OPINIONS AND 

expectation ; for I had four bullets through my coat, and 
two horses shot under me, yet escaped unhurt, although 
death was levelling my companions on every side of 
me." 

Was there not, indeed, in that marvellous preservation, 
a most signal proof given of the particular Providence of 
Gcd ? The battle-field that day, was indeed a field of 
blood. The French and Indians firing from ravines, 
and from behind trees, with a dehberate and deadly aim, 
produced an unparalleled carnage among the British and 
Provincial troops. These seemed to be engaged with an 
invisible foe. For three hours, however, did they main- 
tain the unequal conflict, but in nmch confusion and 
dismay. " The officers," says one, in describing the ac- 
tion, " were absolutely sacrificed by their good behaviour, 
advancing sometimes in bodies, sometimes separately, 
hoping, by such example, to engage the soldiers to follow 
them, but to no purpose. The General (Braddock) had 
five horses shot under him, and at last received a wound 
through his right arm into his lungs, of which he died 
the 13th inst. Secretary Shirley was shot through the 
head ; Captain Morris, wounded. Colonel Washington 
had two horses shot vmder him, and his clothes shot 
through in several places, behaving, the whole time, with 
the greatest courage and resolution. Sir Peter Halket 
was killed upon the spot. Colonel Burton, and Sir John 
St. Clair, were wounded." — " In addition to these," says 
another, " the other field-officers wounded were Lieuten- 
ant Colonel Gage, Colonel Orme, Major Sparks, and 
Brigade-Major Halket. Ten captains were killed, and 
five wounded ; fifteen lieutenants killed, and twenty- 
two wounded ; the whole number of officers in the en- 



CHARACTER OF ^V^ASHINGTON. 103 

gagement was eighty-six, of whom twenty-six were killed, 
and thirty -seven wounded. The killed and wounded of the 
privates amounted to seven hundred and fourteen. Of 
these, at least one half were supposed to be killed."* — 
Washington, but partially recovered from a severe sick* 
ness, was one of General Braddock's aids-de-camp. Early 
in the action, the other aids were killed or wounded, so 
that the whole duty of distributing the General's orders 
devolved on him. He was, consequently, exposed con- 
tinually to the fire of the enemy. Dr. Craik, the friend 
of Washington from his youth, and who was with him 
m this battle, has been often heard to say, " I expected 
every moment to see him fall. Nothing but the super- 
intending care of Providence could have saved him from 
tlie fate of all around him." There is a tradition, resting 
on the authority of this same individual, which may 
deserve notice in this connexion. ''In the year 1770, 
fifteen years after the battle of the Monongahela, just 
referred to, Dr. Craik and Washington travelled together 
on an expedition to the Western country, with a party 
of woodsmen, for the purpose of exploring wild lands. 
While near the junction of the Great Kenhawa and 
Ohio Rivers, a company of Indians came to them with 
an interpreter, at the head of whom was an aged and 
venerable chief. This person made known to them, by 
the interpreter, that hearing Colonel Washington was in 
that region, he had come a long way to visit him, adding 
that, during the battle of the Monongahela, he had 
singled him out as a conspicuous object, fired his rifle at 
him many times, and directed his young warriors to do 

* The whole number engaged were twelve hundred men, besides 
the officers, 



106 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

the same, but, to his utter astonishment, none of their balls 
took effect. He was then persuaded, that the youthful 
hero was under the special guardianship of the Great 
Spirit, and ceased to fire at him any longer. He was 
now come to pay homage to the man who was the par- 
ticular favourite of heaven, and who could never die in 
battle." 

Let the reader carefully mark the foregoing circum- 
stances, and then say whether Washington had not 
good reason for the language: — ^^"By the all-powerful 
dispensations of Providence I have been protected beyond 
all human probability or expectation." — If we, moreover, 
reflect on the distinguished and important part he after- 
wards acted in the cause of his country, and of humanity, 
we cannot, if we believe in a God at all, resist the con- 
viction, that he was preserved by a special divine agency, 
being kept for that work which awaited him in the pur- 
poses of Heaven. This conviction will derive additional 
strength from the recollection, that he was equally pro- 
tected during the Revolutionary War, though often 
and greatly exposed. As a chosen instrument of the 
Almighty, we may well apply to him the words, " Im- 
mortal till his work was done." 

We proceed with his own language. From Winchester, 
where he was stationed as commander of the troops, he 
writes to Gov. Dinwiddle, about a year after Braddock's 
defeat : — 

" With this small company of irregulars, with whom 
order, regularity, circumspection, and vigilance, were 
matters of derision and contempt, we set out, and by the 
protection of Providence, reaxhed Augusta Court House 
in seven days, without meeting the enemy, otherwise we 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 107 

must have fallen a sacrifice through the indiscretion of 
these whooping, hallooing, gentlemen soldiers ! " 

On the subject of an ill-managed expedition against 
Fort Pitt, in the year 1758, he says: — 

" From all the accounts I can collect, it appears very 
clear, that this was a very ill concerted, or a very ill 
executed plan, perhaps both ; but it seems to be generally 
acknowledged, that Major Grant exceeded his orders, 
and that no disposition was made for engaging. The 
troops were divided, which caused the front to give 
way, and put the whole into confusion, except the Vir- 
ginians commanded by Captain Bullitt, who were, in 
the hands of Providence ^ a means of preventing all our 
people from sharing one common fate. " 

Writing to Gov. Trumbull, dated Cambridge, 18th 
July, 1775, he says : — 

'' Allow me to return you my sincere thanks, for the 
kind wishes and favourable sentiments, expressed in 
yours, of the 13th inst. As the cause of our common 
country calls us both to an active and dangerous duty, I 
trust that Divine Providence, which wisely orders the 
affairs of men, will enable us to discharge it with fidelity 
and success," <fec. 

About the same time he wrote to Lieutenant-General 
Gage, of the British army, in answer to a letter from him : 

"May that God to whom you then appeal, judge 
between America and you. Under his providence, those 
who influened the councils of America, and all the other 
inhabitants of the United Colonies, at the hazard of their 
lives, are determined to hand down to posterity those just 
and invaluable privileges, which they received from their 
ancestors." 



108 RELIGiq^ OPINIONS AND 

He writes to some of his officers, in a circular. 8th 
September, 1775 : — 

"It is to know, whether, in your judgment, we cannot 
make a successful attack upon the troops at Boston, by 
means of boats, in co-operation with an attempt upon 
their hnes at Roxbury. The success of such an enter- 
prise depends, I well know, upon the All-wise Disposer 
of events, and it is not within the reach of human wis- 
dom to foretel the issue ; but if the prospect is fair, the 
undertaking is justifiable, for the following, among other 
reasons which might be assigned," 6cc. <fcc. 

Instructions sent by him, at this time, to Gen. 
Arnold, contain the following language : — 

^' You are immediately, on their march from Cam- 
bridge, to take the command of the detachment from 
the Continental army against Quebec, and use all 
possible expedition, as the winter season is now advanc- 
ing ; and the success of this enterprise, under God^ 
depends wholly upon the spirit with which it is pushed, 
and the favourable dispositions of the Canadians and 
Indians." 

In a letter to Joseph Reed, respecting his perplexities, 
he writes, under date of Jaimary, '76 : — 

''Thus, for more than two months past, I have 
scarcely emerged from one difficulty before I hav^ been 
plunged into another. Lfow it will end, God, in his 
great goodness, loill direct. I am thankful for his 
protection to this time. We are told that we shall 
soon get the army completed, but I have been told so 
many things which have never come to pass, that I 
distrust every thing." 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 109 

To Gen. Schuyler he writes, in the same month : — 

" I congratulate you upon the success of your expe- 
dition into Tyron county. I hope General Lee wiU 
execute a work of the same kind on Long Island. It is 
high time to begin with our internal foes, when we are 
threatened with such severity of chastisement from our 
kind parent without. That the Supreme Dispenser of 
every good may bestow health, strength, and spirit, on 
you and your army, is the fervent wish of, dear sir, 
your most affectionate and obedient servant." 

In a communication to Joseph Reed, the same month, 
he says : — 

''The men must be brought to face danger; they 
cannot always have an intrenchment, or a stone wall, 
as a safe-guard or shield; and it is of essential importance 
that the troops in Boston should be destroyed, if possible, 
before they can be reinforced or removed. This is clearly 
my opinion. Whether circumstances will admit of the 
trial, and, if tried, what will be the result, the All-wise 
Disposer of events alone can tell." 

To the Council of Massachusetts Bay he writes, 
February, '76 : — 

"In this state of the matter, and to avoid putting an 
affair of so much importance to a doubtful issue, when, 
under Providence, it may be reduced to a certainty, I 
submit it to the wisdom of your board, whether it may 
not be best to direct the militia of certain towns, most 
contiguous to Dorchester and Roxbury, to repair to the 
lines at those places, with their arms, ammunition, and 
accoutrements, instantly, upon a signal given." 

After the evacuation of Boston, by the British troops 
March 17th, '76, Washington received an Address from 

10 



110 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

the General Assembly of Massachusetts. In answer to 
this Address he has the following language : — 

" That the metropolis of your colony is now relieved 
from the cruel and oppressive invasions of those who 
were sent to erect the standard of lawless domination, 
and to trample on the rights of humanity, and is again 
open and free for its rightful possessors, must give 
pleasure to every virtuous and sympathetic heart ; and 
its being effected without the blood of our soldiers and 
feUow-citizens, must be ascribed to the interposition of 
that Providence which has manifestly appeared in our 
beh^f through the whole of tiiis important struggle, as 
well as to the measures pursued for bringing about the 
happy event. 

" May that Being w^ho is powerful to save, and in 
whose hands is the fate of nations, look down with an 
eye of tender pity and compassion upon the whole of 
the United Colonies ; may he continue to smile upon 
their councils and arms, and crown them with success, 
whilst employed in the cause of virtue and mankind. 
May this distressed colony and its capital, and every part 
of this wide extended continent, through his divine fa- 
vour, be restored to more than their former lustre and 
once happy state, and have peace, liberty, and safety, 
secured upon a solid, permanent, and lasting founda- 
tion." 

Whilst the above extracts show unqualified reliance 
on the Providence of God, the attentive reader will ob- 
serve the absence of every thing resembling that fanatical 
trust whieh supersedes the use of means. The good- 
ness of God is devoutly acknowledged, but every mea- 
sure is adopted which may contribute to the end in 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. Ill 

view. Washington never sought, in his views of Provi- 
dence, an apology for neglect or indolence. He did not 
deserve the censure given to some in the following lines 
of a distinguished writer.* — " It is to be lamented, that 
this great doctrine of God's universal superintendance is 
not only madly denied, or inconsistently overlooked by 
one class of men, but is foolishly perverted, or fanatically 
abused by another. Without entering upon the wide 
field of instances, we shall confine our remarks to two 
that are the most common. First, the fanciful, frivo- 
lous, and bold familiarity with which this supreme 
dictation and government are cited on the most trivial 
occasions, and adduced in a manner dishonourable to 
infinite wisdom, and derogatory to supreme goodness. 
The persons who are guilty of this fault seem not to per- 
ceive, that it is not more foolish and presumptuous to 
deny it altogether than to expect that God's particular 
Providence will interpose, in order to save their exertions 
or excuse their industry. For though Providence di- 
rects and assists virtuous endeavours. He never, by su- 
perseding them, encourages idleness or justifies presump- 
tion. 

The highly censurable use to which some others con- 
vert this Divine agency, is, when not only the pretence 
of trusting Providence is made the plea for the indolent 
desertion of their own duty, but an unwarrantable con- 
fidence in providential leadings is adopted to excuse 
their own imprudence. Great is the temerity, when 
Providence is virtually reproached for the ill success of 
our affairs, or pleaded as an apology for our own wilful- 

♦ Hannah More. 



112 EELIGIOU^PINIONS AND 

ness, or as a vindication of our own absurdity in the fail- 
ure of some foolish plan, or some irrational pursuit. We 
have no right to depend on a supernatural interposition 
to help us out of difficulties into which we have been 
thrown by our misconduct, or under distresses into which 
we have been plunged by our errors : God, though he 
knows the prayers which we may offer, and accepts the 
penitence which we feel, will not use his powder to correct 
our ill-judged labours any otherwise, than by making us 
smart for their consequences." 

In the justice of these reflections every sober-minded 
person will acquiesce, and will appreciate the favourable 
light they shed on the principles of Washington, in refer- 
ence to their subject. 

In a letter to his brother John A. Washington, dated 
Cambridge, March 31, 1776, he says, — 

Upon their discovery of the works (on Dorchester 
Heights) next morning, great preparations w^ere made 
for attacking them ; but not being ready before the af- 
ternoon, and the weather getting very tempestuous, 
much blood was saved and a very important blow to 
one side or the other, was prevented. That this most 
remarkable interposition of Providence is for some wise 
purpose, I have not a doubt. But as the principal design 
of the manoeuvre was to draw the enemy to an engage- 
ment under disadvantages to them ; as a premeditated 
plan was laid for this purpose, and seemed to be succeed- 
ing to my utmost wish ; as no men seemed better dis- 
posed to make the appeal than ours did upon that occa- 
sion ; I can scarcely forbear lamenting the disappointment, 
unless the dispute is drawing to an accommodation, and 
the sword going to be sheathed," 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 113 

In May he writes to the same : — 

" We expect a very bloody summer at New- York and 
Canada, as it is there, I presume, the grand efforts of the 
enemy will be aimed, and 1 am sorry to say that we 
are not, either in men or arms, prepared for it. How- 
ever it is to be hoped, that if our cause is just, as I do 
most religiously beheve it to be, the same Providence 
which has, in many instances, appeared for us, will still 
go on to afford its aid. Your convention is acting very 
wisely in removing the disaffected, and stores, from the 
counties of Princess Anne and Norfolk ; and are much 
to be commended for their attention to the manufacture 
of salt, saltpetre, and powder." 

In view of an expected attack from the combined 
forces of the enemy, the following order was issued, 
July 2d: 

" The time is now near at hand which must probably 
determine, whether Americans are to be freemen or 
slaves ; whether they are to have any property they can 
call their own ; whether their houses and farms are to 
be pillaged and destroyed, and they consigned to a state 
of wretchedness, from which no human efforts will proba- 
bly deliver them. The fate of unborn millions will 
now depend, under God, on the courage and conduct 
of this army. Our cruel and unrelenting enemy leaves 
us no choice but a brave resistance or the most abject 
submission. This is all that we can expect. We have, 
therefore, to resolve to conquer or die. Our own country's 
honour calls upon us for a vigorous and manly exertion, 
and if we now shamefidly fail, we shall become infamous 
to the whole world. Let us rely upon the goodness of the 
cause, and the aid of the Supreme Being, in luhose 

10* 



114 EELIGIMK OPINIONS AND 

hands victory is, to animate and encourage us to great 
and noble actions," &c. 

To General Schuyler he writes, July, 76 : — 

" From every appearance they mean to make a most 
vigorous push to subdvie us this campaign ; and for that 
purpose to possess themselves of this colony, (N. Y.) if 
possible, as a step leading to it. Our utmost exertions 
must be used, and I trust, through the favour of 
Divine Providence, they will be disappointed in their 
views." 

To the officers and soldiers of the Pennsylvania Asso- 
ciation, he writes, 8th of August following : — 

'' The honour and safety of our bleeding country, and 
every other motive that can influence the brave and 
heroic patriot^ call loudly upon us to acquit ourselves 
with resolution. In short, we must now determine to be 
enslaved or free. If we make freedom our choice, we 
must obtain it by the blessing of Heaven on our united 
and vigorous efforts. 

" I salute you, gentlemen, most affectionately, and 
beg leave to remind you that hberty, honour, and safety, 
are all at stake ; and I trust Providence will smile upon 
our eflforts, and establish us once more the inhabitants of 
a free and happy country." 

In writing to General Armstrong, from Morristown, 
N. J. 4th July, 1777, he says : 

"The evacuation of Jersey (by the British troops) at 
this time is a peculiar mark of Providence, as the inha- 
bitants have an opportunity of securing their harvests 
of hay and grain, the latter of which would, in all proba- 
bility, have undergone the same fate with many farm- 
bouses, had it been ripe enough to take fire. The dis- 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 115 

tress of many of the inhabitants, who were pkindered 
not only of their effects, but of their provision of every 
kind, was such, that I sent down several w^agon-loads 
of meat and flour to supply their present wants." 

The reader will observe in this extract a striking proof 
of the writer's unqualified faith in the immediate and 
particular agency of the Almighty in the affairs of men. 
By this agency, a plundering army had been forced to 
leave the agricultural districts of the country at a period 
the most critical to the farmer. It was near the season of 
harvest when they evacuated the state, but the grain 
was in too green a state to be burnt. But for this the 
dependance for bread in that region would have been 
cut off. This interposition was indeed "a pecuhar 
mark of Providence ! " and the reverential notice of it a 
commendable instance of devout feeling. 

To his brother, John A Washington, he writes in 
October, ^11 . His subject is the battle of German- 
town. 

'• When my last to you was dated I know not ; for 
truly I can say, that my whole time is so much engross- 
ed, that I have scarcely a moment but sleeping ones, for 
relaxation, or to indulge myself in writing to a friend. 
The anxiety you have been under, on account of this 
army, I can easily conceive. Would to God there had 
been less cause for it ; or that our situation at present 
was such as to promise much. The enemy crossed the 
Schuylkill, (which, by the by, above the Falls, is as 
easily crossed in any place as Potomac Run, Aquia, or 
any other broad, shallow water) rather by stratagem ; 
though 1 do not know that it v/as in our power to prevent 
it, as their manoeuvres made it necessary for us to attend 



116 RELIGIOm^ OPINIONS AND 

to our stores which lay at Reading, towards which they 
seemed bending their course, and the loss of which must 
have proved our ruin. After they had crossed, we took 
the first favourable opportunity of attacking them." 

" This was attempted by a night's march of fourteen 
miles to surprise them, which we effectually did, so far as 
to reach their guards before they had notice of our com- 
ing ; and if it had not been for a thick fog, which ren- 
dered it so dark at times that we were not able to dis- 
tinguish friend from foe at the distance of thirty yards, we 
should, I believe, have made a decisive and glorious day 
of it. But Providence designed it otherwise ; for after 
we had driven the enemy a mile or two ; after they were 
in the utmost confusion, and flying before us in most 
places : after we were on the point, as it appeared to every 
body, of grasping a complete victory ; our own troops 
took friglit, and fled with precipitation and disorder. 
How to account for this I know not ; unless, as I before 
observed, the fog represented their own friends to them 
for a reinforcement of the enemy, as we attacked in 
different quarters at the same time, and were about 
closing the wings of our army when this happened," 
&c. 

After writing the above, or rather, concluding the let- 
ter, Gen. Washington received from Gov. Chnton a 
brief despatch, announcing the capitulation of Burgoyne's 
army, at Saratoga. This he enclosed to his brother, and 
in a postscript, added, — " I most devoutly congratulate 
my country, and every well-wisher to the cause, on this 
signal stroke of Providence." 

The day after writing the above, he wrote to General 
Putnam, 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 117 

" The defeat of General Burgoyne is a most important 
event, and such as must afford the highest satisfaction to 
every well-affected American. Should Providence be 
pleased to crown our arms in the course of the cam- 
paign, with one more fortunate stroke, I think we shall 
have no great cause for anxiety respecting the future 
designs of Britain. I trust all Avill be well in His good 
time." 

The postscript of a letter to Landon Carter, of Sabine 
Hall, Richmond county, Virginia, is as follows : — 

'• I have this instant received an account of the prison- 
ers taken by the northern army, (including tories in 
arms against us,) in the course of the campaign. This 
singular instance of Providence, and of our good fortune 
under it, exhibits a striking proof of the advantages 
which result from unanimity and a spirited conduct in 
the militia. The northern army, before the surrender 
of General Burgoyne, was reinforced by upwards of 
twelve hundred militia, who shut the only door by which 
Burgoyne could retreat, and cut off all his supplies. How 
different our case ! The disaffection of a great part of 
the inhabitants of this State, the languor of others, and the 
internal distraction of the whole, have been among the 
great and insuperable difficulties which I have met with, 
and have contributed not a little to my embarrassments 
in this campaign. But enough ; I do not mean to com- 
plain. I flatter myself, that a superintending Providence 
is ordering every thing for the best, and that, in due 
time, all will end well. That it may do so, and soon, is 
the most fervent wish of yours," &c. 

In another letter, to the same, he writes : — 



118 KELIGI^^ OPINIONS AND 

"Valley Forge, May 30, 1778. 

'' My Dear Sir :— 

" I thank you much for your kind and affectionate 
remembrance and mention of me, and for that solicitude 
for my welfare which breathes through the whole of 
your letters. Were I not warm in my acknowledgments 
for your distinguished regard, I should feel that sense of 
ingratitude which I hope will never constitute a part of 
my character, nor find a place in my bosom. My friends, 
therefore, may believe me sincere in my professions of 
attachment to them, whilst Providence has a just claim 
to my humble and grateful thanks for its protection and 
direction of me, through the many difficult and intricate 
scenes which this contest has produced ; and for its con- 
stant interposition in our behalf, when the clouds were 
heaviest and seemed ready to burst upon us. 

'' To paint the distresses and perilous situation of this 
army, in the course of last winter, for want of clothes, 
provisions, and almost every other necessary essential to 
the well-being, I may say existence of an army, would 
require more time and an abler pen than mine ; nor, 
since our prospects have so miraculously brightened, shall 
I attempt it, or even bear it in remembrance, further than 
as a memento of what is due to the great Author of all 
the care and good that have been extended in relieving 
us in difficulties and distress," (fee. 

Concerning the battle of Monmouth, he wrote his 
brother John A. Washington, from Brunswick, 4th 
July, 1778. 

General Lee, having the command of the van of the 
army, consisting of full five thousand chosen men, was 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. - 119 

ordered to begin the attack next morning, (28th of 
June,) so soon as the enemy began their march ; to be 
supported by me ; but, strange to tell ! when he came 
up with the enemy, a retreat commenced ; whether by 
his order, or from other causes, is now the subject of in- 
quiry, and, consequently, improper to be descanted upon, 
as he is in arrest, and a court-martial is sitting for his 
trial. A retreat, however, was the fact, be the causes 
what they may ; and the disorder arising from it would 
have proved fatal to the army, had not that bountiful 
Providence which has never failed us in the hour of dis- 
tress, enabled me to form a regiment or two (of those 
that were retreating) in the face of the enemy and un- 
der their fire, by which means a stand was made long 
enough (the place through which the enemy were pur- 
suing being narrow,) to form the troops that were ad- 
vancing ,upon an advantageous piece of ground in the 
rear. Here our affairs took a favourable turn ; and, 
from being pursued, we drove the enemy back over the 
ground they had followed, and recovered the field of battle, 
and possessed ourselves of their dead. But as they 
retreated behind a morass very difficult to pass, and 
had both flanks secured with thick woods, it Avas found 
impracticable, with our men, fainting with fatigue, heat, 
and want of water, to do any thing more that night. In 
the morning we expected to renew the action ; when, 
behold ! the enemy had stolen off silently in the night, 
after having sent away their wounded," ifcc. 

To General Nelson, of Virginia, he wrote, in Au- 
gust : 

'• It is not a little pleasing, nor less wonderful to con- 
template, that after two years manoeuvring and under- 



120 RELIGI^S OPINIONS AND 

going the strangest vicissitudes that ever attended any 
one contest since the creation, both armies are brought 
back to the very point they set out from ; and that the 
offending party, at the beginning, is now reduced to the 
use of the spade and piclvaxe for defence. The hand of 
Providence has been so conspicuous in all this, that he 
must be worse than an infidel that lacks faith, and 
more than wicked that has not gratitude enough to 
acknowledge his obligations. But it will be time enough 
for me to turn preacher when my present appointment 
ceases ; and therefore I shall add no more on the doctrine 
of Providence ; but make a tender of my best respects to 
your good lady, the secretary, and other friends, and 
assure you that with the most perfect regard, I am, dear 
sir," &c. 

Writing to Joseph Reed, in November, he says : 
" It is most devoutly to be wished that faction was at 
an end, and that those to whom every thing dear and 
valuable is entrusted would lay aside party views and 
return to first principles. Happy, happy, thrice happy 
country, if such were the government of it ! But, alas ! 
we are not to expect that the path is to be strewed with 
flowers. That great and good Being who rules the uni- 
verse, has disposed matters otherwise, and for wise pur- 
poses, I am persuaded." 

To Benjamin Harrison, of Virginia. 

"Philadelphia, 30 December, 1778. 
" Dear Sir, 
" I have seen nothing since I came here,* on the 22d 

* He was in Philadelphia, by request of Congress, for the purpose 
of a personal conference with them, touching the operations of the 
next campaign. 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 121 

mst., to cliange my opinion of men or measures ; but 
abundant reason to be convinced, that our affairs are in 
a more distressed, ruinous and deplorable condition, than 
they have been since the commencement of the war. 

^- If I were to be called upon to draw a picture of the 
times, and of men, from what I have seen, heard, and 
in part*knov7, I should, in one word, say, that idleness 
dissipation, and extravagance, seem to have laid fast 
hold of most of them ; that speculation, peculation, and 
an insatiable thirst for riches, seem to have got the 
better of every other consideration, and almost of every 
order of men ; that party disputes and personal quarrels 
are the great business of the day ; whilst the momentous 
concerns of an empire, a great and accumulating debt, 
ruined finances, depreciated money, and want of credit, 
v/hich in its consequences is the want of every thing, are 
but secondary considerations, and postponed from day 
to day, from week to week, as if our affairs wore the 
most promising aspect. 

"I again repeat to you, that this is not an exaggerated 
account. That it is an alarming one I do not deny; 
and I confess to you that I feel more real distress, on 
account of the present appearances of things, than I 
have done at any one time since the commencement of 
the dispute. But it is time to bid you adieu. Providence 
has heretofore taken us up when all other means and 
hopes seemed to be departing from us. In this I will 
confide. I am yours," (fcc. 

To Gen. Thos. Nelson, in Congress, dated March '79: 
"It gives me very singular pleasure to find, that 
11 



122 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

you have again taken a seat in Congress. I think 
tliere never was a time, when cool and dispassionate 
reasoning, strict attention and application, great integ- 
rity, and, if it was in the nature of things, unerring 
wisdom, were more to be wished for than at the present, 
Our affairs, according to my judgment, are now come 
to a crisis, and require no small degree of political skill 
to steer clear of those shallows and rocks, which, though 
deeply buried, may wreck our hopes, and throw us upon 
some inhospitable shore. Unanimity in our councils, 
disinterestedness in our pursuits, and steady perseverance 
in our national duty, are the only means to avoid mis- 
fortunes. If they come upon us after these, we shall have 
the consolation of knov/ing that we have done our best. 
The rest is lolth God^ 

To Joseph Reed, President of Congress, he writes, 
in July, '79 : — 

" Discouraging as this is, I feel more from the state of 
our currency, and the little attention which liitherto 
appears to have been paid to our finances, than from the 
smallness of our army ; and yet, Providence having so 
often taken us up when bereft of every other hope, 1 
trust we shall not fail even in this. The present temper 
and disposition of the people to facilitate a loan, to dis- 
countenance speculation, and to raise the value of the 
money, are a happy presage of residting good, and ought 
to be cherished by every possible means not repugnant 
to good order and goverment." 

To William Gordon, from Newport, March, 1781 : — 

*'I came here on business, and as soon as that business 

is finished, I shall return to my dreary quarters at New 

Windsor. We have, as you very justly observe, abun- 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 123 

(lant reasons to thank Providence for its many favourable 
interpositions in our behalf. It has at times been my 
only dependance, for all other resources seemed to have 
failed us." 

To General Armstrong, he writes, about the same 
time : — • 

" Our affairs are brought to a perilous crisis, that the 
hand of Providence, I trust, may be more conspicuous 
in our deliverance. The many remarkable interpositions 
of the Divine government, in the hours of our deepest 
distress and darkness, have been too luminous to suffer 
me to doubt the happy issue of the present contest; but 
the period for its accomplishment may be too far distant 
for a person of my years, who, in his morning and even- 
ing hours, and every moment unoccupied by business, 
pants for retirement, and for those domestic and rural en- 
joyments, which, in my estimation, far surpass the 
highest pageantry of this world." 

To the President of Congress, November, 1781 :-r- 
'' Sir, 

" I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your 
favour of the 3 1st ultimo, covering the resolutions of 
Congress of the 29th, and a proclamation for a day of 
public prayer and thanksgiving ; and have to thank you 
sir, most sincerely, for the very polite and affectionate 
manner in which those enclosures have been conveyed. 
The success of the combined arms against our enemies 
at York and Gloucester, as it affects the welfare and in- 
dependence of the United States, I viewed as a most for- 
tunate event. In performing my part towards its ac- 
complishment, I consider myself to have done only my 
duty, and in the execution of that, I ever feel myself 



124 RELIGIOUS OriNIONS AND 

liappy ; and at the same time, as it augurs well to our 
cause, I take a particular pleasure in acknowledging", 
that the interposing hand of Heaven, in the various in- 
fc^tances of our extensive preparations for this operation, 
have been most conspicuous and remarkable." 

About the same time he addressed to a committee of 
gentlemen, inhabitants of Alexandria, the following, 
among other remarks, in answer to an address from 
them : — 

" The great Director of events has carried us through 
a variety of scenes during this long and bloody contest 
in which we have been for seven campaigns, most nobly 
struggUng. The present prospect is pleasing. The 
late success at Yorktovvn is very promising, but on our 
own improvement of it depend its future good conse- 
c|uences. A vigorous prosecution of tliis success, will, in 
all probability, })rocure us what we have so long wished to 
secure, an establishment of peace, liberty, and indepen- 
dence. A relaxation of our exertions, at this moment, 
may cost us many more toilsome campaigns, and be at- 
tended with the most unhappy consequences." 

In a '• Circular to the States," dated Philadelphia, 31 
January, 1782, occur the following sentiments : — 

'' Although we cannot, by the best concerted plans, 
absolutely command success ; although the race is not 
always to the swift, nor the battle to the strong ; yet, 
without presumptuously waiting for miracles to be 
wrought in our favour, it is our indispensable duty, with 
the deepest gratitude to Heaven for the past, and hum- 
ble confidence in its smiles on our future operations, to 
make use of all the means in our jwwer for our defence 
and security." 



CHARACTEH OF WASHINGTON. 125 

We have here again a fair specimen of Washington's 
views of tlie doctrine of Providence. With an unhesi- 
tating belief and trust in the divine agency, he did not 
vainly expect that Infinite Wisdom would sanction by 
that agency so pernicious a result as human apathy. He 
regarded the aids of Providence as designed to reward, 
and not discourage industry. Therefore, while lie hum- 
bly confided in the help of God, he diligently fulfilled the 
duties of his station, not contented to commence a work, 
but seeking ever to complete it also, esteeming nothing 
done to good purpose, while any thing remained un- 
done. 

Addressing sundry individuals and bodiesof n.en, at 
the close of the war, he has the following language : — 

" I anticipate with pleasure the day, and that, I trust, 
not far off, when I shall quit the busy scenes of a mili- 
tary employment, and retire to the more tranquil walks 
of domestic life. In that, or in whatever other situation 
Providence may dispose my future days, the remem- 
brance of the many friendships and connexions I have 
had the happiness to contract with the gentlemen of the 
army, will be one of my most grateful reflections. Un- 
der this contemplation, and impressed with the senile 
ments of benevolence and regard, I commend you, my 
dear sir, my other friends, and with them the interests 
and happiness of our dear country, to the keeping ancj 
protection of Almighty God.' 

Again, he says ; *' Notwithstanding Congress seem to 
estimate the value of my life beyond any services I have 
been able to render the United States yet I must be per- 
mitted to consider the wisdom and unanimity of oiur 
national couucils, the firmness of our citizens, and the 

.-: IV 



126 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

patience and bravery of our troops^ Avhich have produced 
so happy a termination of the war, as the most conspicu- 
ous effects of the Divine interposition, and the surest pre- 
sage of our future happiness." 

In his farevi^ell address to the armies of the United 
States, he says : — 

'• A contemplation of the complete attainment (at a 
period earlier than could have been expected,) of the 
object for which we contended, against so formidable a 
power, cannot but inspire us with astonishment and 
gratitude. The disadvantageous circumstances, on our 
part, under which the war was undertaken, can never be 
forgotten. The singular interpositions of Providence, in 
our feeble condition, were such as could scarcely escape 
the attention of the most unobserving ; while the unpa- 
ralleled perseverance of the armies of the United States, 
through almost every possible suff'^ring and discourage- 
ment, for the space of eight long years, was Httle short of 
a standing mimcle. 

"And being now to conclude these his last public 
orders ; to take his ultimate leave in a short time of the 
military character ; and to bid a final adieu to the armies 
he has so long had the honour to command^; he can only 
again offer, in their behalf, his reconunendations to their 
grateful country, and his prayers to the God of armies. 
May ample justice be done them here, and may the 
choicest of Heaven's favours, both here and hereafter, at- 
tend those, who, under the Divine auspices, have secur- 
ed innumerable blessings for others. "With these wishes, 
and this benediction; the commander-in-chief is about to 
retire from service. The curtain of separation will soon 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON 127 

be drawn, and the military scene to him will be closed 
forever." 

Address to Congress, on resigning his commission. 
" Annapolis, December 23, 1783. 

" Mr. President, 

" The great events on which my resignation 
depended having at length taken place, I have now the 
honour of offering my sincere congratulations to Con- 
gress, and of presenting myself before them, to surrender 
into their hands the trust committed to me, and to claim 
the indulgence of retiring from the service of my coun- 
try. 

" Happy in the confirmation of our independence and 
sovereignty, and pleased v/ith the opportunity afforded 
the United States of becoming a respectable nation, I 
resign with satisfaction, the appointment I accepted with 
diffidence ; a diffidence in my abiities to accomplish so 
arduous a task, which, liowever, was superseded by a 
confidence in the rectitude of our cause, the support of 
the supreme power of the Union, and the patronage of 
Heaven. 

" The successful termination of the war has verified 
the most sanguine expectations ; and my gratitude for 
the interposition'of Providence, and the assistance I have 
received from my countrymen, increases with every re- 
view of the momentous contest. 

" I consider it an indispensable duty to close this last 
solemn act of my official fife, by commending the interests 
of our dearest country, to the protection of Almighty 
God, and those who have the superintendence of them, 
to his holy keeping. 



128 RELIGIOUS OFINIONS AND 

" Having now finished the work assigned me. I re- 
tire from the great theatre of action ; and, bidding an 
affectionate farewell to this august body, under whose 
orders I have so long acted, I here offer my commission 
and take my leave of all the eniployments of public 
life." 

We have before us the views of Washington in refer- 
ence to the doctrine of Providence, as habitually express- 
ed by him on all proper occasions, from early life to the 
close of the Revolutionary War. It only remains that a 
few additional instances be cited, of his devout recogni- 
tion of this truth, during subsequent periods of his active 
and useful life. As his piety shed splendour on his bril- 
liant military course, so did it impart dignity and orna- 
ment to his distinguished civil career. 

At his Inauguration as President of the United States, 
April 30th, 1789, he expressed, among other appropriate 
scn'iment^, the following : — 

'' Such being the impressions under which I have, in 
obedience to the public summons, repaired to the present 
station /It would be peculiarly improper to owii, in this 
first oflficial act, my fervent supplications to that Almighty 
Being who rules over the universe — who presides in the 
councils of nations — and whose providential aids can sup- 
ply every human defect — that his benediction may con- 
secrate to the liberties and happiness of the pceple of the 
United States, a government instituted by themselves 
for these essential purposes ; and may enable every in- 
strument employed in its administration, to execute with 
success the functions allotted to his charge. In tender- 
ing tliis homage to the great Author of fivery public 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 129 

and private good, I assure myself that it expresses 
your sentiments not less than my own ; rioj- those of my 
fellow- citizens at large less than either, r^o people can 
he bound to acknowledge and adore the invisible Hand 
which conducts the affairs of men, more than the people 
of the United States. Every step by which they have 
advanced to the character of an independent nation, 
seems to have been distinguished by some token of provi- 
dential agency. And in the important revolution just ac- 
complished, in the system of their united, government, 
the tranquil deliberations and voluntary consent of so 
many distinct communities, from which the event has 
resulted, cannot be compared with the means by which 
most governments have been established, without some 
return of pious gratitude, along with an humble antici- 
pation of the future blessings, which the past seem to 
presage. These reflections, arising out of the present 
crisis, have forced theaiselves too strongly on my mind 
to be suppressed. You will join with me, 1 trust, in 
thinking that there are none under the influence of 
which the proceedings of a new and free government 
can more auspiciously commence. 

"Having thus imparted to you my sentiments, as they 
have been awakened by the occasion which brings us 
together, I shall take my present leave; but not without 
resorting once more to the benign Parent of the human 
race, in hmnble supplication, that since he has been 
pleased to favour the American people with opportuni- 
nilies for deliberating in perfect tranquilhty, and disposi- 
tions for deciding with unparalleled unanimity, on a form 
of government for the securing of their union, and the 



130 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

advancement of their happiness ; so His Divine blessing 
may be equally conspimoiis in the enlarged views, the 
temperate consultations, and the wise measures on which 
the success of this government must depend." 

We pass to the next and last instance of this devout 
feeling in the Father of his country, which we shall cite 
from public documents. In October succeeding his in- 
ausruration, the followina^ Proclamation w^as issued ]>v 
him : 

' Whereas, it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge 
the Providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be 
grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his pro- 
tection and favour : And, whereas, both houses of Con- 
gress have, by their joint committee, requested me ' to 
recommend to the people of the United States a day of 
pubhc Thanksgiving and Prayer, to be observed by ac- 
knowledging, wath grateful hearts, the many and signal 
favours of Almighty God, especially by affording thern 
an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of govern- 
ment for their safety and happiness.' " 

'• NoiD, therefore^ I do recommend and assign Thurs- 
day, the twenty-sixth day of November, to be devoted by 
the people of these states, to the service of that great aj.d 
glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the 
good that was, that is, or will be ; that w^e may then all 
unite in rendering imto him our sincere and humble 
thanks, for his kind care and protection of the people of 
this country, previous to their becoming a nation ; — for 
the signal and manifold mercies, and the favourable in- 
terpositions of his providence, in the course and conclu- 
sion of the late war : — for the great degree of tranquillity, 
union, and plenty, wdiich v/e have since enjoyed ; — for 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON 131 

the peaceable and national manner in wliich we have 
been enabled to establish constitutions of government for 
our safety and happiness, and particularly the national 
one, now lately instituted ; — for the civil and religious 
liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we 
I)ave for acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge ;— 
and, in general, for all the great and various favours, 
which he ha,th been pleased to confer upon us. 

'• A?id, also, That we may then unite in most hum- 
bly offering our prayers and supplications to the great 
liOrd and Ruler of nations ; and beseech him to pardon 
our national and other transgressions : — to enable us 
ail, whether in public or private stations, to perform our 
several and relative duties properly and punctually ; — 
to render our national government a blessing to all the 
people, by constantly being a government of wise, just, 
and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully exe- 
cuted and obeyed ; — to protect and guide all sovereigns 
and nations, (especially such as have shown kindness 
unto us.) and to bless them w^ith good government, 
peace, and concord ; — to promote the knowledge and 
practice of true religion, and virtue, and the increase of 
science among them and us ; — and, generally, to grant 
unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity 
as he alone knows to be best. 

'• Given under my hand, at the city of New^-York, the 
third day of October, in the year of our Lord one 
thousand seven hundred and eighty-nine. 

<'G. Washington." 

The writer has in his possession some of the private 
letters of Gen. Washinolon, which have never seen the 



132 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

light, in whole or in part. Of these, he shall avail him- 
self on the topic under consideration, as on others, which 
may receive elucidation from them in the course of this 
work. The following brief quotations are here made, as 
showing the agreement between his public and private 
communications. The letters were written to a near 
relative, engaged as his land agent, in Virginia. To 
him he writes, in October, 1791 : — 

" From long experience I have laid it down as an 
unerring maxim, that to exact rents with punctuality is 
not only the right of the landlord, but that it is also for 
the benefit of the tenant that it should be so ; unless, by 
uncontrollable events, and providential strokes, the lat- 
ter is rendered unable to pay them : in such cases, he 
should not only meet with indulgence, but, in some in- 
stances, vcith- a remittal cf the rent. But in the ordina- 
ry course of these transactions, the rents ought to be col- 
lected with the most rigid exactness, especially from my 
tenants, who do not, for most of the farms, pay a fourth 
of what the tenements would let for if they were now in 
my possession. If it is found difficult for a tenant to pay 
one rent, it is more difficult for him to pay tivo : when 
three are due he despairs or cares little about them ; 
and, if it runs to a greater number, it is highly probable 
to avoid paying any, he leaves you the bag to hold. For 
these reasons, except under the circumstances before 
mentioned.) it is my desire that you will give all the 
tenants timely notice, that you will give no indulgences 
beyond those allowed by the covenants in the leases. If 
they find you strict^ they will be 'punctual ; if other- 
wise, 1/oiir trouble will be qaadrupled, and I can have no 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 133 

dependance upon my rents, which are now my principal 
support." 

In a letter to the same, written from Philadelphia, on 
the 22d of February, 1795, he says : 

'• If the tenants are not punctual in the discharge of 
their rents, when they become due, distrain for them 
without delay or hesitation ; unless their disabihty to pay, 
proceeds from some providential i?iterpositionj or 
from some other obvious cause which entitles them to 
.indulgence ; for it may be depended upon, if the failure 
proceeds from idleness, the man who is unable to pay 
one rent will never pay two Avillingly ; and, generally, 
when it goes beyond that, the score is wiped out." 

He wrote to the same in August, 1799 : — 

''Of the facts related in the enclosed letter, relative 
to the loss of his crop by tlie Hessian fly, I know no- 
thing. If it should appear to you evident, that K 

has used his true endeavour to raise the means to dis- 
charge his rent, and is deprived thereof by an act of Pro- 
vidence, I am \villing, however illy I can afford to do it, 
to make some reasonable abatement thereof, of which 
you. from inquiry, will be the best judge." 

With these ample evidences of Washington's sincere 
belief in the Providence of God, and entire confidence in 
the wisdom and goodness of the same, whether mani- 
fested in the fulfilment or fi-ustration of his private wishes, 
whether in favour or in opposition to his personal inter- 
ests, — we pass on to the next subject of inquiiy claiming 
our consideration. 



12 



134 EELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 



CHAPTER lY. 

HIS DEVOTIONAL HABITS. 

The claims of the Almighty, on the homage ofliis in- 
telligent creatures, are confessed by mankind with a har- 
mony of assent, that is accorded by them to few other 
principles of religion. His greatness and his glory are 
too manifest to admit of disagreement on this point.. 
While it is freely owned, liowever, that He ought to be 
worshipped as the greatest and l^est of Beings, it is not 
so often, or so cordially admitted, that the sacrifice of 
prayer is an equally appropriate offering. The spirit of 
unbelief, and of secret aversion to a service demanding a 
a profound humihty and deep prostration of soul, causes 
some to reject its obligations and controvert its propriety, 
and that on the ground of God's infinite wisdom and 
overflowing benevolence. In these, they say, we may 
confidently tmst for the supply of all our necessities. 
The urgency of prayer, therefore, is at once unnecessary 
and presumptuous, implying distrust of tlie divine good- 
ness, and a dispasition to prescribe to Him whose know- 
ledge is perfect, and love unbounded. 

In opinions so vain we have, indeed, an extreme of 
folly rarely witnessed. A settled aversion to the duty of 
prayer, whether in public or private, and the habitual 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 136 

neglect thereof, unaccompanied by excuse or extenuation, 
are much more frequent than the positive denial of the obli- 
tion. Perhaps there is no one habit connected with 
religion which finds in the human heart a more thorough 
distaste, or one which mankind more entirely refuse. 
It is not, indeed, unusual for persons of certain disposi- 
tions, and placed in particular circumstances, to fall in 
with the customs of society in regard to the public wor- 
ship of God. Acquiescing in the manifest propriety of so 
decent a practice, they go to the House of God, and 
unite ostensibly in those becoming acts of adoration and 
supplication, which mark the services of the Sanctuary. 
But all this time there is no relish for the duty of prayer. 
The closet never witnesses their bended knee, their uplift- 
ed eye, or beseeching voice. The secret chamber, where 
< God has especially promised to meet and bless his faith- 
ful people, possesses no charms for them. If they do, at 
certain times, under certain circumstances, when oppress- 
ed, it may be, by calamity, — bow the knee in private, it is 
by no means a uniform or continuing practice, but vary- 
ing ever with the fluctuations of condition, feeling, or oc- 
cupation. 

What, then, were the habits of Washington in relation 
to this important Christian duty ? The question is one 
of much moment, in reference to the sincerity of his re- 
ligious principles and professions. And in proportion to 
the importance of the inquiry do the means happily 
abound of prosecuting the same to a satisfactory issue. 

His uniform practice from youth to hoary age, furnish- 
ed, it would seem, a consistent exemplification of this duty 
in its double aspect of public and private prayer. To 



136 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

these we propose to direct the attention of our readers 
in their order. 

It was mentioned, in a former chapter, that Washing- 
ton spent his early years in parts of the country well fur- 
nished with houses of worship. He was then, however, 
in his minority, and we wish now to speak of a riper 
and more responsible age. The first decisive indication 
of his principles on this subject, with which we are ac- 
quainted, appeared during the encampment at the Great 
Meadows, in the year 1754. While occupying Fort 
Necessity, it was his practice to have the troops assem- 
bled for public worship. This we learn from the follow- 
ing note, by the publisher of his writings. '' While 
Washington was encamped at the Great Meadows, Mr. 
Fairfax wrote to him ; ' I will not doubt your having 
public prayers in the camp, especially when the Indian 
families are your guests, that they, seeing your plain 
manner of worship, may have their curiosity excited to 
be informed why we do not use the ceremonies of the 
French, which being well explained to their understand- 
ings, will more and more dispose them to receive our 
baptism, and unite in strict bonds of cordial friendship.' " 

" It may be added, that it was Washington's custom 
to have prayers in the camp while he was at Fort Ne- 
cessity." 

Here we are informed, not only of the pious custom 
of the youthful commander, at the time and place men- 
tioned, but are enabled to gather from the communica- 
tion of Mr. Fairfax, nmch that was highly favourable to 
the character of his young friend. Mr. Fairfax says, -^ I 
will not doubt your having public prayers in the camp." 
Intimate as this gentleman was with Washington, he 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 13 1' 

would scarcely have so addressed him had he not felt 
encouraged to do so by his known sentiments of piety, if 
not his known habits. Mr. Fairfax was the father-in- 
law of Lawrence Washington, the brother of George, 
and had possessed every opportunity of learning the 
character and conduct of the latter. Assured of his 
pious and serious deportment, he did not feel any hesi- 
tation in suggesting to him the expediency of the duty 
in question. 

That it was customary with him to frequent the 
House of God when in his power, appears from the 
record made by him of an occurrence amongst his sol- 
diers, while encamped in Alexandria, in the summer of 
1754, having himself returned but lately on a recruiting 
expedition from the Great Meadows. " Yesterday, while 
loe were at churchy twenty-five of them collected, and 
were going off in the face of their officers, but were stop- 
ped and imprisoned before the plot came to its height." 

The next year he attended the fortunes of General 
Braddock, as a volunteer aid-de-camp. The general 
being mortally wounded at the battle of the Mononga- 
hela died on the third night. He was buried in his 
cloak the same night in the road, to elude the search of 
the Indians. Washington, on the testimony of an old 
soldier, read the funeral service over his remains, by 
the Ught of a torch. Faithful to his commander while 
he lived, he would not suffer him to want the customary 
rites of religion when dead.* Though the probable pur- 
suit of savages threatened, yet did his humanity and 

* It was very common in that day, and long afterwards, with gen- 
tlemen in Virginia, to perform such offices for a departed friend in the 
absence of a clergyman. 

12* 



138 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

sense of decency prevail^ to gain for the fallen soldier tlie 
honour of Christian sepulture. 

After this period, he was engaged in the French and 
Indian war for some years. Of his habits, during the 
vicissitudes of that trying contest, one of his aids, Colonel 
B. Temple, of King William county, Virginia, has been 
often heard to say, that, '' frequently on the Sabbath, 
he has known Colonel Washington to perform divine 
service with his regiment, reading the scriptures and 
praying with them, when no chaplain could be had." — • 
For a considerable part of the time during that border 
war, his regiment was without a chaplain, of which he 
often complained in his communications with the 
governuor. In all these he manifested his high sense 
of the propriety and importance of public worship. In 
a subsequent letter to the President of the Council, he 
says : — 

" The last Assembly, in their Supply Bill, provided 
for a chaplain to our regiment. On this subject I had 
often, without any success, applied to Governour Din- 
widdle. I now flatter myself that your Honour will be 
pleased to appoint a sober, serious man, for this duty. 
Common decency, sir, in a camp, calls for the services 
of a divine which ought not to be dispensed with, 
although the world should be so uncharitable as to think 
us void of religion and incapable of good instructions." 

The following extracts, from a Diary kept by him 
in the year 1760 — two years after the French and Indian 
war, and the year after his marriage — will show his 
practice at that period. Mount Yernon, as is known, 
was now his residence. 

<• January 4th. — The weather continued drizzHng and 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 139 

warm, and I kept the house all day. Mrs. Washing- 
ton seeming to be very ill, (with the measles,) I wrote 
to Mr. Green this afternoon, desiring his company to 
visit her in the morning. 

" 5th. — Mrs. Washington appeared to be something 
better. Mr. Green, however, came to see her about 11 
o'clock, and in an hour Mrs. Fairfax arrived. Mr. 
Green prescribed, and just as we were going to dinner, 
Captain Walter Stuart appeared, with Dr. Laurie ; the 
evening being very cold, and the wind high, Mrs. Fair- 
fax went home in the chariot. 

'' 6th. — The chariot not returning time enough from 
Colonel Fairfax's, we were prevented from going to 
church. Mrs. Washington is a good deal better 
to-day." 

It would appear then, that even Mrs. Washington's 
indisposition and confinement at home, would not have 
been regarded as a sufficient excuse for neglecting the 
public worship of God, had not the unexpected delay of 
the chariot interfered with the performance of that 
duty — it being perhaps too late, after its arrival, to 
prepare. How many avail themselves of less valid 
excuses for neglecting the public duties of the Sabbath. 

"May 4th. — Warm and fine, set out for Frederick, 
to see my negroes that lay ill of the small-pox. Took 
church in my way to Coleman's, where I arrived about 
sun-setting." 

Some time subsequent to this period, the old parish 
church being in a state of decay, the present one, called 
Pohick Church, was erected on a new site. The cir- 
cumstances attending this event having some connexion 



140 BELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

with our subject, shall be referred to, as handed down 
by tradition. 

The dilapidation of the old church rendering it ex- 
pedient either to repair or rebuild, the subject was 
agitated in the vestry, of which Colonel Washington was 
a member. It having been determined, after due con- 
sideration, that a new church should be built, the question 
of location next presented itself. Colonel . a pro- 
minent member of the vestry, was in favour of the old 
situation in the neighbourhood of which he had his 
residence. Others maintained that the site was not 

sufficiently central. Colonel supposed the place, if 

not perfectly central, yet not seriously inconvenient of 
access to any; and especially thought that the sacred 
associations which belonged to it, as the place of worship 
for several generations, and as hallowed by the sepul- 
chres of their fathers, should induce a preference for 

the spot. Colonel Washington difTered with Colonel , 

"objecting to the distance and the inconvenience to which 
his plan would subject the parishioners. He, moreover, 
could not see the force of the consideration derived from 
the contiguity of the grave-yard. He thought churches 
were erected for the living, and not for the dead. Nor 
was it necessary that any desecration of the place 
should occur. The ashes of the dead could be pre- 
served inviolably secure by a proper enclosure." The 
vestry, however, adjourned, without coming to any set- 
tled conclusion, another meeting being appointed with 
a view to a final decision. 

In the mean time Colonel Washington occupied 
himself in surveying the parish, ascertaining its limits 
and the relative position of the old church. Having 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON 



141 



done tliis, and prepared a draught of the survey with 
his usual accuracy and neatness, he awaited the meeting 

of the vestry. On that occasion, Colonel again 

urged, aud with increased vehemence, the claims of 
the old situation. Having done so. Colonel Washing- 
ton repeated his former ohjections, and having dwelt 
upon the remoteness of the place, took from his pocket 
the plan which he had prepared, in which the old 
church was found to be in an extreme corner of the 
parish. This ocular demonstration soon settled the matter, 
and brought about a decision against the old and in 
favour of the new location, which would bring the 
church in the centre of the parish. 

Here it was at the new or Pohick Church, that Wash- 
ington habitually attended, from the period of its erec- 
tion, till the commencement of the Revolutionary War. 
Here he offered his adorations to the God and Father of 
all, and here received the symbols of a Saviour's love at 
the hands of the consecrated servant of the altar.* 

The Rev. Lee Massey was the rector of the parish at 
the time here referred to. He was a highly respectable 
man, and shared much of the esteem of Washington. 
In regard to the religious deportment of his distinguished 
friend, especially in the House of God, he has often been 
heard to express himself in the following strain : " I 
never knew so constant an attendant on church as 
Washington. And his behaviour in the House of God, 
was ever so deeply reverential, that it produced the 
happiest effects on my congregation ; and greatly assist- 

* The writer is aware that in the view of many, some obscurity 
hangs over this habit of Washington's life. The reader may see the 
subject considered in the Appendix, note A, 



142 KELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

ed me in my pulpit labours. No company ever withheld 
him from church. I have often been at Mount Vernon, 
on the Sabbath morning, when his breakfast table was 
filled with guests ; but to him they furnished no pretext 
for neglecting his God, and losing the satisfaction of 
setting a good example. For instead of staying at home, 
out of false complaisance to them, he used constantly to 
invite them to accompany him." 

In the year 1774, Washington went to Williamsburg 
as a member of the house of burgesses. The horizon of 
our country was then becoming dark with clouds, por- 
tending the approach of war. In the month of May, a 
short time after the members had assembled, information 
was received of an act of parhament for shutting up the 
port of Boston — to take effect on the 1st of June. The 
members being much excited by this hostile proceeding 
on the part of the British government, when they met 
on the 24th of May, passed an order that the 1st day 
of June " should be set apart by that house as a day of 
fasting, humihation and prayer, devoutly to implore the 
divine interposition for averting the heavy calamity 
which threatened destruction to their civil rights, and 
the evils of civil war, and to give them one heart and 
one mind, firmly to oppose, by all just and proper means, 
every injury to American rights." 

June the 1st being the day appointed as a day of fast- 
ing, humiliation, and prayer, the following brief entry is 
found in a diary kept by Washington at that time : — 

" June 1st, Wednesday. — Went to church, and fasted 
all day." 

Will the reader mark especially the latter clause of 
this note. He went to church in conformity with the 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 143 

order passed by the house of burgesses. But not only 
so — he did that also which, perhaps, w^as not known 
to any mortal ; which was known only to God, — he fast- 
ed all day. Who is not struck with the sincerity and 
piety of this conduct ? Who that was acting merely from 
a regard to outward appearances, would thus have denied 
himself throughout the whole day. He bowed himself, 
no doubt, with profound adoration in the House of God ; 
but who shall say with what earnestness and impor- 
tunity of prayer he approached the throne of mercy 
in the retirement and secresy of his chamber — deprecat- 
ing the horrors of that storm which was, to his practised 
ear, then muttering hoarsely in the distance ; and im- 
ploiing those blessings on his country, of which he little 
thought that he himself should prove so illustrious an 
instrument. But God was training his servant for the 
mighty work which awaited him, and was mingling in 
his soul those high elements of faith, fortitude, and self- 
denial, essential to real greatness and true virtue in 
man. 

In September of this year, he left home for Philadel- 
phia as a member from Virginia, of the first congress 
about to meet in that city. The following entries made 
in his diary, show him still mindful of the Sabbath day, 
and of the duty of public worship. Being a stranger in 
the city, and lodging at a public house, there may not 
have been the regularity of attendance which usually 
distinguished him. 

" September 25th. — Went to the Quaker meeting in 
the forenoon, and to St. Peter's in the afternoon ; dined 
at my lodgings. 



144 RELIGIOtrS OPINIONS AND 

" October 2d. — Went to Christ church, and dined 
at the new tavern. 

" 9th. — Went to the Presbyterian meeting" in the fore- 
' noon, and the Romish church in the afternoon ; dined 
at Bevan's. 

"16th. — Went to Christ church in the morning; 
after which rode to and dined at the Province Island ; 
supped at Byrns's." 

Tiie congress being dissolved on the 26th of October, 
Washington returned to Mount Vernon, He was again 
a member of the second congress, which met in Phila- 
delphia the following year. By this congress he was 
chosen, as is known, commander-in-chief of the Ameri- 
can army ; resistance to Britain having been firmly re- 
solved upon. And through that protracted and eventful 
contest which followed this purpose, in what spirit did the 
commander-in chief act in reference to the sacred duty 
under consideration 7 Was he still the same l Was he 
still consistent ? In the confusion and bustle of a camp, 
was he still collected and mindful of the claims of Him 
" who rules in the armies of heaven and among the inha- 
bitants of the earth ? " 

The day after he took command of the army an 
order was issued, in which we find the following injunc- 
tion : 

" The General requires and expects of all officers 
and soldiers, not engaged on actual duty, a punctual at- 
tendance on divine service, to implore the blessings of 
heaven upon the means used for our safety and defence." 

A few days after this order was published, the Rev. 
William Emerson, a chaplain in the army, writes to a, 
friend : 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 143 

'^ There is great overturning in the camp as to order 
and regularity. New lords, new laws. The Generals 
Washington and Lee are upon the lines every day. New 
orders from his Excellency are read to the respective re- 
giments every morning, after 'prayers^'' &c. 

The subjoined extracts, from orders issued from time 
to time, will serve to witness the great care of the com- 
mander to encourage this duty : 

From the Orderly Book, May 15th, 1776 :— The con- 
tinental congress have ordered Friday, the 17th instant, 
to be observed as a day of fasting, humiliation, and 
prayer, humbly to supplicate the mercy of Almighty God, 
that it would please him to pardon our manifold sins and 
transgressions, and to prosper the arms of the United 
Colonies, and finally establish the peace and freedom 
of America upon a solid and lasting foundation ; the 
General commands all officers and soldiers to pay strict 
obedience to the orders of the continental congress ; that, 
by their unfeigned and pious observance of their religious 
duties, they may incline the Lord and Giver of victory 
to prosper our arms." 

From the Orderly Book, August 3d. — •• That the 
troops may have an opportunity of attending public wor- 
ship, as well as to take some rest after the great fatigue 
they have gone through, the General, in future, excuses 
them from fatigue duty on Sunday, except at the ship- 
yards, or on special occasions, till further orders." 

In a Circular from the Commander-in-chief to the 
brigadier generals, dated the 26th of May, 1777, are the 
following instructions : — " Let vice and immorality, of 
every kind, be discouraged as much as possible in your 

13 



146 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND ' 

brigade ; and as a chaplain is allowed to each regiment, 
see that the men regularly attend divine worship." 

From the Orderly Book, October 7th. — " The situation 
of the army frequently not admitting of the regular per- 
formance of divine service, on Sundays, the chaplains of 
the army are forthwith to meet together, and agree on 
some method of performing it at other ti?nes, which 
method they will make known to the Commander-in- 
chief." 

From the Orderly Book, Dec. 17th, 1777, near Valley 
Forge. " To-morrow being the day set apart by the 
honourable Congress for public thanksgiving and praise, 
and duty calling us devoutly to express our grateful ac- 
knowledgments to God for the manifold blessings he 
has granted us, the General directs that the army re- 
main in its present quarters, and that the chaplains per- 
form divine service with their several corps and brigades ; 
and earnestly exhorts all officers and soldiers, whose ab- 
sence is not indispensably necessary to attend with re- 
verence the solemnities of the day." 

The interruptions which sometimes occurred, prevent- 
ing divine service being performed in camp, did not in- 
terfere with attention to the duty on the part of the Com- 
mander-in-chief. For one of his Secretaries, Judge Har- 
rison, has often been heard to say, that " whenever the 
General could be spared from camp, on the Sabbath, he 
never failed riding out to some neighbouring church, to 
join those who were publicly worshipping the Great 
Creator." This was done by him, we presume, when 
there was no public worship in camp. 

On the day succeeding the surrender of Lord Corn- 
wallis, an event which virtually closed the war, the Gene- 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 147 

ral Order issued by Washington, concluded in the fol- 
lowing words : — " Divine service shall be performed to- 
morrow in the different brigades and divisions. The 
Commander-in-chief recommends, that all the troops that 
are not upon duty, assist at it with a serious deportment, 
and that sensibility of heart, which the recollection of the 
surprising and particular interposition of Providence, in 
our favour, claims." 

That our illustrious countryman continued to cherish 
the same high reverence for the sacred institutions of 
religion to the end of his life, is sustained by ample evi- 
dence. After the close of the war, and his return to 
Mount Vernon, in December, 1783. his place of worship 
was in Alexandria. It is probable that Pohick Church 
had been closed during the commotions induced by the 
revolution. At least, it is known that he had a pew in 
Christ church, Alexandria, and habitually attended di- 
vine service there. The following interesting document 
will evince that fact, and furnish very striking proof of 
his unfeigned desire for the respectable support of the 
Christian ministry, and perpetual maintenance of religious 
institutions and services. The design of the paper v/as, 
as the reader will observe, to subject the pews of the 
church to an annual rent, by a voluntary subscription 
thereto on the part of the pewholders. Its language is : — 

'• We, the subscribers, do hereby agree that the pews 
we now hold in the Episcopal church at Alexandria, 
shall be forever charged with an annual rent of five 
pounds, Virginia money, each ; and we hereby promise 
to pay, (each for himself separately promising to pay,) 
annually, forever, to the minister and vestry of the Pro- 
testant Episcopal Church in Fairfax parish ; or, if the 



148 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

parish should be divided, to the minister and vestry of 
the Protestant Episcopal Church in Alexandria, the said 
sum of five pounds for each pew, for the purpose of sup- 
porting the ministry in the said church : Provided, ne- 
vertheless, that if any law of this commonwealth should 
hereafter compel us, our heirs, executors, administrators, 
or assigns, to pay to the support of religion, the pew rent, 
hereby granted, shall, in that case, be considered as part 
of what we may by such law be required to pay : Pro- 
vided, also, that each of us pay only in proportion to the 
part we hold of the said pews. For the performance of 
which payment, well and truly to be made, forever, an- 
nually, within six months after demanded, we hereby 
bind ourselves, (each for himself separately,) our heirs, 
executors, administrators, and assigns, firmly by these 
presents. In witness whereof, we have hereunto set our 
hands and seals, this 25th day of April, in the year of 
our Lord 1785." 

The above is an attested copy of the original, now on 
record in the vestry book of Christ church, Alexan- 
dria. The article was signed by a number of the pew- 
holders^ the name of " G. Washington" being at the 
head of the list, in his own hand-writing, with the seal 
attached. 

Cordially concurring, as he did, in this reasonable 
mode of raising a permanent revenue for the church, by 
uniting in a voluntary subjection of his pew to a per- 
petual ground rent, the father of his country evinced that 
high sense of justice and propriety, together with that 
spirit of noble liberality for which he was ever distin- 
guished. He was not disposed, in the absence of a le- 
gal provision for the support of religion, to hold the man 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 149 

who was devoting his time and talents to the good of a 
congregation, subject to the whims and caprices of the 
same, for the amount and punctual payment of his in- 
come. Whilst the clergyman willingly engaged to ren- 
der certain services in behalf of others, Washington 
thought that they should be wilhng, on their parts, to 
bind themselves to render him a due compensation for 
his labours. Nor was this course less prudential than 
generous ; for what would a pew be worth if the pulpit 
should be unsupplied ? The value of the pew, whether 
occupied by the owner or transferred to another, would 
certainly depend on the regularity and efficacy with 
which the clerical duties were performed. A cunning 
man might be disposed to take another view of the mat- 
ter, and adopt a different course, refusing to bind himself, 
with the vain idea of reserving his liberty of action, and 
perhaps of escaping the obligation altogether if it should 
prove necessary. But a man so magnanimous, and at 
the same time practically wise as Washington was. could 
never act in any other way than as he did. The laws 
of his character forbid his doing otherwise. 

In May 1787, the delegates of the several States 
assembled in Philadelphia, \vith a view to the formation 
of a constitution for the better government of the Union. 
Of this illustrious body, Washington was unanimously 
chosen President. During the session the following 
occurrences took place. The account thereof, in its 
present authentic form, Avas \vritten in the year 1825, 
by an intimate friend of the youngest member of the 
convention. The part here given is that relating to 
the reconsideration of the provision which had been 
made in the beginning, for the representation of th^ 

13* 



150 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

States in the Senate. It had been determined, that re- 
presentation should be according to population. To this 
principle the representatives from the four smaller states 
objected. They moved a reconsideration, and expressed 
their purpose of withdrawing from the convention, unless 
the constitution was so modified, as to give each state 
an equal representation. 

'' There was much warmth," says the writer referred 
to, and some acrimonious feeling exhibited by a number 
of the speakers ; a rupture appeared almost inevitable, 
and the bosom of Washington seemed to labour with 
ihe most anxious sohcitude for its issue. Happily 
for the United States, the convention contained some in- 
dividuals possessed of talents and virtues of the highest 
order, whose hearts were deeply interested in the esta- 
blishment of a new and efficient form of government, 
and whose penetrating minds had already deplored the 
evils which would spring up in our newly-established 
Republic, should the present attempt to consolidate it 
prove abortive. Among those personages, the most pro- 
minent was Dr. Franklin. He was esteemed the men- 
tor of our body. To a mind naturally strong and capa- 
cious, enriched by much reading, and the experience of 
many years, he added a manner of communicating his 
thoughts peculiarly his own, in which simplicity, 
beauty, and strength, were equally conspicuous. As soon 
as the angry orators who had preceded him had left him 
an opening, the Doctor rose, evidently impressed with 
the weight of the subject before them, and the difficuity 
of managing it successfully." 

In a speech, as given by the writer, the Doctor 
urged the consideration of the great interests involved 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 151 

in the issue of their deliberations, and proposed a recess 
of three days, for cool reflection and impartial conversa- 
tions among the members respecting their conflicting 
views and opinions, that they might return to the discus- 
sion of the subject before them with more tranquil and 
amicable feelings. He then concluded in the following 
words : — 

" Before I sit down, Mr. President, I will suggest 
another matter ; and I am really surprised that it has 
not been proposed by some other member at an earlier 
period of our deliberations. I will suggest, Mr. President, 
the propriety of nominating and appointing, before we 
separate, a chaplain to this convention, whose duty it 
shall be uniformly to assemble with us, and introduce 
the business of each day by an address to the Creator of 
the universe, and the Governour of all nations, beseeching 
Him to preside in our council, enlighten our minds with 
a portion of heavenly wisdom, influence our hearts 
with a love of truth and justice, and crown our labours 
with complete and abundant success." 

" The Doctor sat down ; and never did I behold a 
countenance at once so dignified and delighted, as was 
that of Washington at the close of this address ; nor 
were the members of the convention, generaUy, less af- 
fected. The words of the venerable Franklin fell upon 
our ears with a weight and authority, even greater than 
we may suppose an oracle to have had in a Roman 
senate ! A silent admiration superseded for a moment 
the expression of that assent and approbation which was 
strongly marked on almost every countenance ; I say 
almost — for one man was found in the convention, Mr. 
, of ,who rose and said, with regard to the first 



152 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

motion of the honourable gentleman, for an adjourment, 
he would yield his assent ; but he protested against the 
second motion for the appointment of a chaplain. He 
then commenced a high-strained eulogium on the assem- 
blage of wisdom, talent, and experience which the 
convention embraced ; declared the high sense he enter- 
tained of the honour which his constituents conferred 
upon him in making him a member of that respectable 
body : said he was confidently of opinion that they were 
competent to transact the business which had been en- 
trusted to their care ; that they were equal to every exi- 
gence which might .occur; and concluded by saying, 
that, therefore, he had not seen the necessity of foreign 
aid! 

'' Washington fixed his eye upon the speaker with 
a mixture of surprise and indignation, w^hile he ut- 
tered this impertinent and impious speech ! — and then 
looked around to see in what manner it affected ethers. 
They did not leave him a moment to doubt — no one 
deigned to reply, or take the smallest notice of the 
speaker, — but the motion for appointing a chaplain was 
instantly seconded and carried ; whether under the 

silent disapprobation of Mr. , or his solitary negative, 

I do not recollect. The motion for an adjourment was 
then put, and carried unanimously ; and the convection 
adjourned accordingly. 

" The three days of recess were spent in the man- 
ner advised by Dr. Franklin ; the opposite parties mixed 
wdih each other, and a free and frank interchange of sen- 
timents took place. On the fourth day we assembled 
again ; and if great additional light had not been thrown 
on the subject, every unfriendly feeling had been ex- 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 153 

pelled ; and a spirit of conciliation had been cultivated, 
which promised, at least, a cahn and dispassionate re- 
co7isideration of the subject. 

" As soon as the chaplain had closed his prayer, and 
the minutes of the last sitting were read, all eyes were 
turned to the Doctor. He rose, and in a few words, 
stated that during the recess he had hstened attentively 
to all the arguments, pro and con^ which had been urged 
by both sides of the house ; that he had himself said 
much, and thought more on the subject ; he saw diffi- 
culties and objections which might be urged by indivi- 
dual States against every scheme which had been pro- 
posed ; and he was now more than ever convinced that 
the constitution which they were about to form, in order 
to be just and equal, must be founded on the basis of 
compromise and mutual concession. With such views 
and feehngs, he would move a reconsideration of the 
vote last taken on the organization of the senate. The 
motion was seconded, the vote carried, the former vote 
rescinded, and by a successful motion and resolution, 
the senate was organized on the present plan." 

In a year or two from this time, by the united 
voice of a free people, Washington was elevated to the 
high office of President of the United States. 

In this exalted station his conduct continued to be 
distinguished by the same uniform and punctual observ- 
ance of rehgious duties which had always marked his 
hfe. As he was chiefly resident in Philadelphia, during 
the eight years of his administration, he had a pew in 
Christ church of that city, of which the venerable 
Bishop White was then, as he is still, the Rector,* being 

* This venerable man has died, since the above was written, uni- 
versally esteemed and honoured. 



A 54 RELIGIO^ OPINIONS AND 

now near his ninetieth year. During all the time that 
he was in the government, Washington was punctual in 
his attendance on divine worship. His pew was seldom 
vacant v/hen the weather would permit him to attend. 
In regard to his habit, at that time, the living grandson 
of Mrs. Washington, Geo. W. P. Custis, Esq. of Arling- 
ton, bears the following testimony : 

" On Sundays, unless the weather was uncommonly 
severe, the President, and Mrs. Washington, attended 
divine service at Christ church ; and in "the evenings 
the President read to Mrs. Washington, in her chamber, 
a sermon, or some portion from the Sacred Writings. 
No visitors, with the exception of Mr. Speaker Trum- 
bull, were admitted to the presidoliad on Sundays." 

After his retirement from the Chair of State, he still 
continued the same in spirit and practice. The church 
in Alexandria was again his place of worship. The 
distance, indeed, was nine miles, and yet his pew was 
seldom unoccupied on the Lord's day. The writer, 
many years since, had the following circumstances, in 
relation to this habit of the ex-President, from a valued 
female friend, now numbered with the dead. 

" In the summer of 1799," said Mrs. M., ''- 1 was in 
Alexandria, on a visit to the family of Mr. H., with 
whom I was connected by the ties of relationship. 
Whilst there, I expressed a wish to see General Wash- 
ington, as I had never enjoyed that pleasure. My 
friend Mrs. H., observed, ' You will certainly see him on 
Sunda}^, as he is never absent from church when he 
can get there ; and as he often dines with us, we will ask 
him on that day, when you will have a better opportu- 
nity of seeing him.' Accordingly, we all repaired to 



CHAUACTER OP WASHINGTOxV. 155 

church on Sunday, and seated in Mr. H.'s large double 
pew, I kept my eyes upon the door, looking for the vener- 
able form of him I had so long desired to see. Many 
persons entered the doors, but none came up to my 
impressions of General Washington's appearance. At 
length, a person of noble and majestic figure entered, 
and the conviction was instantaneous that I beheld the 
Father of his Country. It was so !— my friend at that 
moment intimated the fact to me. He walked to his 
pew, at the upper part of the church, and demeaned 
himself throughout the services of the day with that 
gravity and propriety becoming the place and his own 
high character. After the services were concluded we 
waited for him at the door, for his pcv/ being near the 
pulpit he was among the last that came out — when 
Mrs. H. invited him to dine with us. He declined, how- 
ever, the invitation, observing, as he looked at the sky, 
that he thought there were appearances of a thunder- 
storm in the afternoon, and he believed he would return 
home to dinner." 

This occurrence is introduced, not for any peculiar 
interest belonging to it, but merely for confirmation : 
showing the punctuality and conscientiousness with 
which Washington attended to the duty in question, 
even to old age. He was now within six months of his 
death, having reached his 68th year ; and yet he is not 
to be detained on the Sabbath from the House of God, 
either by distance or the fervours of a summer sun. 

It may here be added, simply as evidence of his de- 
votional habits, that he always said grace at table. On 
one occasion, from the force of habit, he performed this 
duty himself when a clergyman was present — an in- 



156 RELIGI^S OPINIONS AND 

Stance of indecorum very unusual with liini. Being 
told, after the clergyman's departure, of the incivility, he 
expressed his regret at the oversight, but added, " the 
reverend gentleman will at least be assured, that we are 
not entirely graceless at Mount Yernon." 

Thus have we ample illustration of the unvarying 
practice to which the principles of Washington led him, 
in regard to the sacred duty of public worship. It may 
be, however, that the fullest admission of his zeal and 
good example in this respect, does not necessarily imply 
a conviction of his inward faith and piety. Some may 
think, that this outward attention to religion had no 
higher source than patriotism — than a regard for the 
prevalence of morality ' and good order in society — of 
which ends he no doubt considered the public worship of 
God to be highly promotive. That these motives alone 
did not originate his devotional habits, as evinced in the 
House of God, we are well assured ; and in confirmation, 
shall now proceed to the consideration of those habits of 
private prayer ascribed to him ; and which, if once 
fully verified, will forever settle the question of his faith 
and devotional feeling. He who prays habitually in 
secret, furnishes the best possible evidence of his sincerity. 
Such a one cannot be a dissembler. He has regard to 
no eye, but that of his Maker. If it is inevitable that a 
man's private habits, in this respect, will be known to 
his family, or those who are intimate with him ; yet, it 
is clear that no motive can arise from such a source to 
induce long continued perseverance in the duty. This 
must be sustained by other influences. " Private pray- 
er," says a good writer, " diflfers from public prayer in 
several respects. The proper subjects of public prayer 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 157 

are such wants as belong to men in general. In private 
prayer, the wants of our particular state, our peculiar 
trials, dangers, and temptations, form the proper suljjects 
of our addresses. Hence, private prayer is a peculiarly 
interesting part of devotion. It may also be considered 
as more spiritual in its nature. In public prayer there 
are many outward things to excite the affections — all 
good and profitable, perhaps, in themselves ; still i: 
must be owned, that the less our devotion arises from 
outward causes, and the less it depends on these, the 
more likely is it to be the genuine feeling of a pious 
heart, actuated by gratitude to God, admiration of his 
perfections, love to his character, confidence in his provi- 
dence, and faith in his promises. Private prayer, there- 
fore, is far more hkely to be the result of a real fear and 
love of God. It cannot, at least, be the offspring of osten- 
tation ; nor is it easy to conceive that it should flow from 
hypocrisy. 

'•' Private prayer is also a better test, or index, of the 
state of the soul, than pubUc worship. Every man is, 
what he is in secret. When no eye is upon him, then 
his true character and feelings show themselves. If, 
then, he sincerely and devoutly pours out his heart be- 
fore God ; if, then, he truly mourns his sins, and fer- 
vently desires to obtain divine grace to pardon and 
sanctify him, there is good ground for beheving that he 
is a real disciple of Christ." 

In our inquiries respecting this practice of Washing- 
ton, the same amount or variety of matter wi:l not be 
expected as abounded in testimony of his more public 
habits. And yet there is enough to satisfy every mind 

14 



158 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

that he was not less punctual and unremitting in his 
attention to the duties of the closet, than to those of the 
public Sanctuary. 

At what period of life his observance of this sacred 
duty commenced it is impossible for mortals to know. 
But the following instances of secret prayer are submit- 
ted with the most perfect assurance of the certainty of 
their occurrence. 

We before adduced the testimony of one of his aids in 
the French and Indian AVar, to his habit of reading the 
Scriptures and praying with his troops on Sundays, in 
the absence of the chaplain. This same individual, 
Col. B. Temple, has often been heard to say in connex- 
ion with the above, " that on sudden and unexpected 
visits into his (Washington's) marquee, he has, more 
than once, found him on his knees at his devotions." 

The annexed article will furnish another well au- 
thenticated instance, occurring at a subsequent period of 
his life. 

Extract of a letter from a Baptist minister to the 
Editor of the (Boston) Christian Watchman, dated Bal- 
timore, January 13, 1832 : 

" The Meeting-house (which is built of stone) be- 
longing to the church just alluded to, is in sight of the 
spot on which the American army, under the command 
of General Washington, was encamped during a most 
severe winter. This, you know, was then called ' Val- 
ley Forge.'' It is affecting to hear the old people nar- 
rate the sufferings of the army, when the soldiers were 
frequently tracked by the blood from their sore and bare 
feet, lacerated by the rough and frozen roads over which 
they were obliged to pass. 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 159 

*' You will recollect that a most interesting incident, in 
relation to the life of the great American Commander-in- 
chief, has been related as follows : — That while station- 
ed here with the army, he was frequently observed to 
visit a secluded grove. This excited the curiosity of a 
Mr. Potts, of the denomination of ' Friends^^ who 
watched his movements at one of these seasons of retire- 
ment, till he perceived that he was on his knees and 
engaged in prayer. Mr. Potts then retmned, and said 
to his family, ' Our cause is lost,^ (he was with the 
tories,) assigning his reasons for this opinion. There is 
a man by the name of Devault Beaver, now hving on 
this spot, (and is eighty years of age) who says he hag 
had this statement from Mr. Potts and his family. I 
had before heard this interesting anecdote in the life of 
our venerated Washington, but had some misgivings 
about it, all of which are now most fully removed."' 

It may be added, that besides the individual named by 
the above writer as having witnessed the private devo- 
tions of Gen. Washington at Valley Forge, it is known 
that Gen. Knox also was an accidental witness of the 
same, and was fully apprized that prayer was the object 
of the Commander's frequent visits to the grove. This 
officer was especially devoted to the person of the Com- 
mander-in-chief, and had very free and familiar access 
to him, which may in some measure, account for his par- 
ticular knowledge of his habits. 

That an adjacent wood should have been selected as 
his private oratory, while regularly encamped for the 
winter, may excite the inquiry of some. The cause 
may possibly be found in the fact that, in common with 
the officers and soldiers of the army, he lodged during 



1(50 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

that winter in a log hut, which, from the presence of Mrs. 
Washington, and perhaps other inmates, and the few- 
ness of the apartments, did not admit of that privacy 
proper for such a duty. 

Another instance of this pious habit, witnessed during 
the war. has more recently been brought to light. 

In the year 1820, a clergyman of this State, being in 
company with Major •, a relative of Gen. Wash- 
ington, had an accidental conversation with him on the 
subject of Christianity. The conversation was of a con- 
troversial nature in the beginning, and as no good seem- 
ed to ensue, but som3 warmth of feeling, an effort was 
made to arrest the unprofitable discussion by an inquiry 
made of the Major, as to the religious opinions of his dis- 
tinsfuished kinsman, the subject of these pages. This 
was done in part, as knowing his veneration for Wash- 
ington, and for information too, as he had been cap- 
tain of the General's body guard, during a greater part 
of the war, and possessed the best opportunities of learn- 
ing his views and habits. In answer to the question, he 
observed, after hesitating for a moment, " Gen. Wash- 
ington was certainly a pious man, his opinions being in 
favour of religion, and his habits all of that character 
and description." Being further interrogated as to his 
habits — he replied, that his uncle, he knew, was in the 
habit of praying in private— and with the animation of 
an old soldier, excited by professional recollections, rather 
than sympatliy with the subject, he related the circum- 
Btances of the following occurrence " While encamped 

at * N. J., a soldier arrived one morning, about 

day-break, with despatches for the Commander-in-chief, 

* The year and place forgotten by the "writer. 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 161 

from a distant division of the army. As soon as his busi- 
ness was known, he was directed to me as captain of 
the body guard, to wliom he came forthwith, and giv- 
ing me his papers, I repaired at once to the General's 
quarters. On my way to his room after reaching the 
house, I had to go along a narrow passage of some length. 
As I approached his door, it being yet nearly dark, I 
was aiTested by the sound of a voice. I paused and 
listened for a moment, when I distinguished it as the 
General's voice, and in another moment found that he 
was engaged in audible prayer. As in his earnestness 
he had not heard my footsteps, or if he heard me did 
not choose to be interrupted, I retired to the front of the 
dwelling, till such time as I supposed him unengaged ; 
when returning, and no longer hearing his voice, 1 knock- 
ed at the door, which being promptly opened, I delivered 
the despatches, received an answer, and dismissed the 
soldier." 

How impressive an example of sincere devotion have 
we here ! The leader of our armies, though oppressed 
with cares and labours, an unequalled burden, yet for- 
sakes his friendly couch at the dawn of day, and upon 
his knees '• cries unto God with his voice." He is not 
content with unuttered prayer. His earnestness seeks its 
natural vent in audible and articulate sounds. 

" The habit of early rising," says a pious writer,* " is 
of great importance to the due discharge of morning 
prayer. Oh, how many precious hours do indolent 
Christians lose ; while those who are more self-denying 
and diligent, are gaining the fevour of God and enjoying 
communion with bim." 

* Bickersteth, 

14' 



162 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

«' It was the daily practice of the eminent physician 
Boerhaave," says the same writer, " through his whole 
life, as soon as he rose in the morning, which was gene- 
rally very early, to retire for an hour to private prayer 
and meditation on some part of the Scriptures. He 
often told his friends, when they asked him how it was 
possible for him to go through so much fatigue with such 
patience and quietness, that it was this which gave him 
spirit and vigour in the business of the day. This he 
therefore recommended as the best rule which he could 
give." 

An additional example as occurring during the war, 
and taken from a respectable literary journal published 
in New- York, is here inserted as having in its promi- 
nent points, aU the appearance of truth. 

" One pleasant evening in the month of June, in 
tlie year 17 — , a man was observed entering the bor- 
ders of a wood, near the Hudson river, his appearance 
that of a person above the common rank. The inha- 
lants of a country village would have dignified him with 
the title of squire, and from his manner, have pronounced 
him proud ; but those more accustomed to society wo dd 
inform you, there was something like a military air 
about him. His horse panted as if it had been hard 
pushed for some miles, yet from the owner's frequent 
stops to caress the patient animal, he could not be 
charged with want of humanity ; but seemed to be 
actuated by some urgent necessity. The riders forsaking 
a good road for the by-path leading through the woods, 
hidicated a desire to avoid the gaze of other travellers. 
He had not left the house where he inquired the direction 
of the above mentioned path more than two hours, be- 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON 163 

fore the quietude of the place was broken by the noise 
of distant thunder. He was soon after obliged to dis- 
mount, travelling becoming dangerous, as darkness con- 
cealed surrounding objects, except when the lightning's 
terrific flash afforded a momentary view of his situation. 
A peal louder and of longer duration than any of the 
preceding, which now burst over his head, seeming as 
if it would rend the woods asunder, was quickly followed 
by a heavy fall of rain, which penetrated the clothing 
of the stranger ere he could obtain the shelter of a large 
oak, which stood at a little distance. 

" Almost exhausted with the labours of the day, he was 
about making such disposition of the saddle and his 
own coat, as would enable him to pass the night with 
what comfort circumstances would admit, when he espied 
a light glimmering through the trees. Animated with 
the hope of better lodgings, he determined to proceed. 
The way, which was somewhat steep, became attended 
with more obstacles the farther he advanced, the soil 
being composed of clay, which the rain had rendered so 
soft that his feet slipped at every step. By the utmost 
perseverance, this difficulty was finally overcome with- 
out any accident, and he had the pleasure of finding him- 
self in front of a decent looking farm-house. The watch- 
dog began barking, which brought the owner of the 
mansion to the door. 

" Who is there ? " said he. 

'• A friend who has lost his way, and in search of a 
place of shelter," was the answer. 

" Come in, sir," added the first speaker, " and what- 
ever my house will afford, you shall have with wel- 



164 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

'^ I must first provide for the weary companion of 
my journey," remarked the other. 

" But the former undertook the task, and after conduct- 
ing the new-comer into a room where his wife was 
seated, he led the horse to a well-stored barn, and there 
provided for him most bountifully. On rejoining the 
traveller, he observed, '• That is a noble animal of yours, 
sir." 

" Yes," was the reply, '' and I am sorry that 1 was 
obliged to misuse him so, as to make it necessary to give 
you much trouble with the care of him ; but I have yet 
to thank you for your kindness to both of us." 

'■'• I did no more than my duty, sir," said the enter- 
tainer, " and therefore am entitled to no thanks. But 
Susan," added he, turning to the hostess, with a half- 
reproachful look, " why have you not given the gentle- 
man something to eat ? " 

" Fear had prevented the good woman from exercising 
her well-known benevolence ; for a robbery had been 
committed, by a lawless band of depredators, but a few 
days before, in that neighbourhood, and as report stated 
that the ruffians were all well dressed, her imagination 
suggested that this man might be one of them. 

" At her husband's remonstrance, she now readily en- 
gaged in repairing her error, by preparing a plentiful 
repast. During the meal, there was much interesting 
conversation among the three. As soon as the worthy 
countryman perceived that his guest had satisfied his ap- 
petite, he informed him, that it was now the hour at 
which the family usually performed their evening devo- 
tions, inviting him at the same time to be present. The 
invitation was accepted in these words : 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 



165 



" It would afford me the greatest pleasure to commune 
with my heavenly Preserver, after the events of the day; 
such exercises prepare us for the repose we seek in sleep." 

" The host now reached his Bible from the shelf, and 
after reading a chapter and singing, concluded the whole 
with a fervent prayer ; then lighting a pine-knot, con- 
ducted the person he had entertained to his cliamber, 
wished him a good night's rest, and retired to the adjoin- 
ing apartment. 

" John," whispered the woman, " that is a good gentle- 
man, and not one of the highwaymen as I supposed." 

" Yes, Susan,'' said he, " I like him better for thinking 
of his God, than for all his kind inquiries after our wel- 
fare. I wish our Peter had been home from the army, 
if it was only to hear this good man talk ; I am sure 
Washington himself could not say more for his country, 
nor give a better history of the hardships endured by 
our brave soldiers." 

•' Who knows now," inquired the wife, " but it may be 
he himself after all, my dear, for they do say, he travels 
just so, all alone, sometimes.* Hark ! what' s that ?' 

" The sound of a voice came from the chamber of their 

* In the summer of 1779 Washington had his Head-Gluarters on 
the Hudson river. That he was in the habit of travelhng alone 
sometimes during the war is well known. The circumstances men- 
tioned above are said to have occurred in the month of June,— the 
year it would seem not remembered. It appears from one of his letters 
that he was absent from camp for a day or two, about that time in 
1779. In a letter dated New Windsor, July the 9th, he says, "I did 
not receive intelligence of this till the afternoon of the 7th inst., having 
been absent from he.\d-quar:ers from the mvrning of the preceding 
day, on a visit to our outposts below, and those lately established by 
the enemy." 



166 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

guest, who was now engaged in his private religious 
v)orship. After thanking the Creator for his many 
mercies, and asking a blessing on the inhabitants of the 
house, he continued, 'And now, ahnighty Fai,her, if it is 
thy holy will, that we shall obtain a place and a name 
among the nations of the earth, grant that we may be 
enabled to show our gratitude for thy goodness, by our 
endeavours to fear and obey thee. Bless us with wisdom 
in our councils, success in battle, and let all our victories 
be tempered with humanity. Endow also our enemies 
with enlightened minds, that they may become sensible 
of their injustice, and willing to restore our liberty and 
peace. Grant the petition of thy servant for the sake of 
Him whom thou hast called thy Beloved Son ; never- 
theless, not my will, but thine be done. Amen.' " 

" The next morning, the traveller, declining the press- 
ing solicitations to breakfast with his host, declared it 
was necessary for him to cross the river immediately ; at 
the same time offering a part of his purse, as a compen- 
sation for the attention he had received, which was 
refused. 

" Well, sir," concluded he, ''since you will not permit 
me to recompense you for your trouble, it is but just that 
I should inform you on whom you have conferred so 
many obligations, and also add to them by requesting 
your assistance in crossing the river. I had been out 
yesterday, endeavouring to obtain some information 
respecting our enemy, and, being alone, ventured too far 
from the camp ; on my return I was surprised by a 
foraging party, and only escaped by my knowledge 
of the roads and the fleetness of my horse. My name 
is George Washington. ' 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 167 

" Surprise kept the listener silent for a moment ; then, 
after unsuccessfully repeating the invitation to partake 
of some refreshment; he hastened to call two negroes, 
with whose assistance he placed the horse on a small 
raft of timber, that was lying in the river near the 
door, and soon conveyed the General to the opposite 
side, where he left him to pursue his way to the camp, 
wishing him a safe and prosperous journey. On his 
return to the house, he found that while he was 
engaged in making preparations for conveying the 
horse across the river, his illustrious visitor had persuaded 
his wife to apcept a token of remembrance, which the 
family are proud of exhibiting to this day. 

" The above is only one of the many hazards en- 
countered by this truly great patriot, for the purpose of 
transmitting to posterity the treasures we now enjoy. 
Let us acknowledge the benefits received, by our en- 
deavours to preserve them in their purity ; and by 
keeping in remembrance the Great Source whence these 
blessings flow, may we be enabled to render our names 
worthy of being enrolled with that of the father of his 
country." 

Here we have again the same pecuharity of audible 
prayer that appeared in the preceding instance. It 
is certainly the natural way of expressing ardent and 
intense feeling.* 

One who speaks of the private devotions of the ce- 
lebrated Martin Luther, has these words : ''I cannot 
enough describe the cheerfulness, constancy, faith, and 
hope of this man in these trying and vexatious times. 

* This practice, it will be remembered, was recommended by Chief 
J ustice Hale in one of the treatises before quoted. 



168 Religious opinions and 

He constantly feeds these good affections by a very 
diligent study of the word of God. Then, not a day 
passes in which he does not employ in prayer, three 
at least of his very best hours. Once I happened 
to hear him at prayer. What spirit, and what 
faith there is in his expressions! He petitions God 
with as much reverence as if he was actually in 
the divine presence, and yet with as firm a hope, 
and confidence, as he would address a father or a 
friend. 'I know,' said he, 'thou art our Father and 
our God, therefore, I am sure thou wilt bring to nought 
the persecutors of thy children. For shouldst thou fail 
to do this, thine own cause, being connected with ours, 
would be endangered. It is entirely thine own concern : 
w^e, by thy providence have been compelled to take a 
part. Thou, therefore, wilt be our defence.' — Whilst 
I was listening to Luther, praying in this manner at 
a distance, my soul seemed on fire within me, to hear 
the man so address God like a friend, and yet with so 
much gravity and reverence." 

In the following pefectly authentic incident, we have a 
striking corroboration of those alreCvdy recorded, and with 
them, furnishing proof so ample of the point before 
us, that it will be unnecessary to look for additional 
testimony. 

During his residence in Philadelphia, as President of 
the United States, it was the habit of Washington, winter 
and summer, to retire to his study at a certain hour 
every night. He usually did so at nine o'clock — always 
having a lighted candle in his hand, and closing the door 
carefully after him. A youthful member of his house- 
hold whose room was near the study, being just across 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 



109 



the passage, observing this constant practice of the Pre- 
sident, had his thoughts excited in reference to the cause 
of so uniform a custom. Accordingly, on one occasion, 
in the indulgence of a juvenile curiosity, he looked into 
the room, sometime after the President had gone in ; 
and to his surprise, saw him upon his knees at a small 
table, with a candle and open Bible thereon. 

In these facts we have all the evidence Ave could ask 
of his uniform attention to the divinely commanded ob- 
servance of private prayer. The evidence too, embraces 
a very large portion of his life. Our limited and partial 
information compiehends a period of forty years— that is, 
from his twenty-third to beyond his sixtieth year. It 
was his habit whilst engaged in the French and Indian 
war; it was so also during the revolutionary war ; audit 
was the same during his presidential terms, and no doubt 
it was so to the end of his life. 

How rooted and fixed must that gracious principle 
have been, which could produce such unwavering and 
persevering devotion to these duties,— a devotion not to be 
shaken or impaired by the trying scenes, circumstances 
and associations, which belonged to his peculiar avoca- 
tions and earthly allotment. But in this very duty, no 
doubt, did he find strength for every trial. Here was in 
a great measure the secret of his greatness, and of the 
wonderful successes which ever attended him. It was 
the blessing of God on him, as his chosen and dutiful 
servant, that so fully equipped him for every service, and 
conducted him to the highest usefulness and to the great- 
est honour. It was in reference to this known excellence 
in Washington, that Dr. Mason of New-York, in the fu- 
neral eulogy pronounced on the occasion of his death, ia 

15 



170 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

February, 1800, uses the language : — " That invisible 
hand which gilded him at first, continued to guard and 
to guide him through the successive stages of the revo- 
lution. Nor did he account it a weakness to bend the 
knee in homage to its supremacy, and prayer for its di- 
rection. This was the armour of Washington, this the 
salvation of his country."* 

We cannot but remember with sadness, in this con- 
nexion, that many of the great ones of our world appear 
to think, that the important duty before us is altogether 
unsuited to persons of their distinction and dignity. But 
were not religion and greatness united in the person of 
Washington ? Did religion impair his greatness or cloud 
the lustre of his fame ? Count it not a weakness in him ; 
the "majesty of his character" forbids the thought. 
Rather let those endowed with talents and invested with 
office, follow his example ; and find in God a strength 
more than human, for every duty and every trial. 

* "The example of Washington teaches a poignant reproof to those 
who think, or act as if they thought, that religion is incompatible Avith 
greatness. The majesty of his character forbids a suspicion that his 
reverence for the worship of God, and his solicitude for the prevalence 
of religious principle, were either a tribute to prejudice, or a stratagem 
of state. But every possible doubt is removed by the fact, that it was 
his uniform practice, even during the war, to retire at a certain hour, 
for the devotion of the closet." 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 171 



CHAPTER V. 

HIS RESPECT FOR THE SABBATH. 

The value of the Sabbath has ever been recognized 
by wise and good men. Its happy influence on the tem- 
poral as well as spiritual welfare of mankind has been 
seen by them. They have appreciated and confessed 
its salutary tendency in favour of the intellectual, moral 
and physical advancement of communities, duly improv- 
ing its sacred advantages. Once, indeed, a vain phi- 
losophy, in its wantonness, attempted in another land to 
overthrow this great moral institute of society, as useless, 
if not injurious to the world ; and accordingly, with sa- 
crilegious hands, was it expunged from the calendar, and 
superseded by the substitution of one day in ten^ as a day 
of rest. Of the result of that experiment the world is 
fully apprized. Short indeed was the reign of the De- 
cades. Experience soon taught the impious authors of 
the change, that human wisdom could not instruct Je- 
hovah, or human skill mend his w^ork. 

The importance of the Sabbath as an instrument of 
moral good to men, is thus vindicated by a distinguished 
writer.* " The Sabbath is eminently moral, as the in- 
dispensable means of preserving in the world a real and 

* Pr, D wight. 



172 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

voluntary obedience of all the other commands in the 
Decalogue. Wherever the Sabbath is not, religion dies 
of course; and morality of every kind, except so far as 
convenience and selfishness may keep the forms of it 
alive, is forgotten." Again, " Wherever the Sabbath 
is not, there is no worship, no religion. Man forgets 
God, and God forsakes man. The moral world becomes 
a desert, w^liere life never springs, and beauty never smiles. 
The beams of the sun of righteousness never dawn upon 
the miserable Avaste ; the rains of heaven never descend. 
Putrid with sin, and shrunk with ignorance, the soul of 
man loses its rational character,a nd prostrates itself be- 
fore devils, men, beasts and reptiles, insects, stocks and 
stones." That we possess this divine gift, is a ground of 
unbounded gratitude and praise to God. ^'The Sab- 
bath, according to his abundant mercy ^ returns at the 
close of every week, to shine upon us with its peaceful 
and benevolent beams. At the close of every week, w ith 
a stilly small voice, it summons us to the house of God. 
Here we meet, :ind find, and know, and serve our glo- 
rious and blessed Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier ; here 
he makes known his pleasure and our duty ; here he 
promises to those who obey, di^ ine and eternal rewards, 
and threatens those who disobey, with terrible and never 
ending punishments. Seen every w^eek in these aw^ful 
and amiable characters, God cannot be unknown nor for- 
gotten. Accordingly, throughout the ages of Christianity, 
his presence and agency are understood every where, and 
by every person who frequents the house of God. The 
little child is as familiarly acquainted wdth them as the 
man of gray hairs ; the peasant as the monarch. All in 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 173 

this sense know God, from the least to the greatest ; 
and there is no occasion for a man to say to his 
neigbour, Know the LtordP 

Speaking of the Sabbath, Dr. Rush says, " If there 
were no hereafter, individuals and societies would be 
great gainers by attending public worship every Sunday. 
Rest from labour in the house of God, winds up the ma- 
chine of both soul and body, better than any thing else, 
and thereby invigorates it for the labours and duties of 
the ensuing week." 

With this the testimony of Chief Justice Hale essen- 
tially agrees, having a more explicit reference to the di- 
vine blessing. " I have often found," says he, " by a 
strict and diligent observation, that a due observing the 
duty of the Lord's day, hath ever joined with it a bless- 
ing on the rest of my time, and the week that hath been 
so begun, hath been blessed and prosperous to me ; so 
that I could from the loose or strict observance of that 
day, take a just prospect and true calculation of my tem- 
poral successes the ensuing week." 

The wisdom and piety of Washington combined to 
render him a strict observer of the Sabbath, and a jea.- 
lous advocate of its authority and sanctity. Of this, we 
have a strong collateral proof in his conscientious and 
habitual attendance on the services of the Sanctuary as 
performed on that day. But there are other evidences 
which directly show that his principles on this point 
were fixed and settled. The following occurrence is 
well authenticated, and serves to assure vis of his unfeign- 
ed reverence for the " Holy of the Lord." 



15^ 



174 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

''In the town* of , in Connecticut, where the 

roads were extremely rough, Washington was overtaken 
by night, on Saturday, not being able to reach the town, 
where he designed to rest on the Sabbath. Next morning 
about sun -rise, his coach was harnessed, and he was pro- 
ceeding onward to an inn, near the place of worship, 
w^hich he proposed to attend. 

" A plain man, who was an informing officer, came 
from a cottage, and inquired of the coachman whether 
there were any urgent reasons for his travelling on the 
Lord's day. The General, instead of resenting this as 
impertinent rudeness, ordered the coachman to stop, and 
with great civihty explained the circumstances to the of- 
ficer, commending him for his fidelity, and assured him 
that nothing was farther from his intention than to treat 
with disrespect the laws and usages of Connnecticut, 
relative to the Sabbath, which met with his most 
cordial approbation.^^ 

Though he had, as we have seen, paid a marked re- 
spect to the claims of the Sabbath, throughout his previ- 
ous life — there seemed to be, during his Presidency, an 
increased regard and deference for the same. Not only 
was he most punctual in his attendance on the public 
worship of God, whenever it was possible, but the disci- 
phne of his house was strictly conformed to the obliga- 
tions and proprieties of the day. It was an established 
rule of his mansion, that visitors could not be admitted on 
Sundays. It is understood that an exception to the rule 

* Town or Township — a section of country six miles square; into 
a number of which the State is divided. General Washmgton was 
now making the tour of New-England, in the autumn of 1789. 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 17o 

was made in the case of one individual, viz., Mr. Trum- 
bull, Speaker of the House of Representatives. He often 
spent an hour on Sunday evenings with the President ; 
and so entirely was the privilege confined to him, that 
it was usual with the house servant when he heard the 
door-bell ring, on those evenings, to call it, the " speak- 
er's bell." 

After spending a part of the day at church, and oc- 
casionally an hour in the evening with Mr. Trumbull, 
one of the most pious men of his age— the rest of the 
time preceding the hour of repose was occupied, as 
mentioned in a previous chapter, by the President's read- 
ing to Mrs. Washington, a sermon or a portion of the 
Holy Scriptures. 



170 



RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 



CHAPTER VI. 

HIS RESPECT FOR THE CLERGY. 

At every period of his life, was the conduct of Wash- 
ington marked by a special respect for the office and per- 
son of the ministers of religion. He honoured the call- 
ing, as one of express divine appointment, and him who 
filled it, as the living representative of the Divine Author 
of Christianity. This was the combined result of his 
good sense and pious affections. He well knew that re- 
ligion could not long be maintained in any community, 
where its ministers were lightly esteemed. He also knew 
and felt that no higher offence could be offered the Al- 
mighty, than to contemn and refuse his duly accredited 
ambassadors. He was incapable of that injustice and 
pusillanimity, which can insult a clergyman, because he 
is known to be comparatively defenceless — as of that 
narrow-minded and illiberal jealousy which looks with 
suspicion upon the ministers of Christ for no other assign- 
able reason, than the errors or vices which may have 
distinguished some of their order, in the lapse of ages. 
He was well able to discriminate between the innocent 
and the guilty ; and his sense of justice, as well as bene- 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 177 

volence of feeling, prompted him to a scrupulous regard 
for so manifest a duty. 

Through every stage of his illustrious career the 
marks of this wise and becoming course may be distinct- 
ly traced. 

While embarked in the French and Indian War, as 
Commander of the Virginia forces, he earnestly sought 
of Governour Dinwiddle the supply of a chaplain to his 
regiment. His language was : — ■ 

" The want of a chaplain, I humbly conceive reflects 
dishonour on the regiment, as all other ofllicers are al- 
lowed. The gentlemen of the corps are sensible of this, 
and proposed to support one at their private expense. 
But I think it would have a more graceful appearance 
were he appointed as others are.'' 

To this the Governour replied : — 

" I have recommended to the commissary to get a 
chaplain, but he cannot prevail upon any person to ac- 
cept of it ; I shall again press it to him." 

In answer to which Washington wrote : — 

" As to a chaplain, if the government will grant a sub- 
sistence, we can readily get a person of merit to accept 
the place, without giving the commissary any trouble on 
that point," 

With the letter, of which this was a part, the Gover- 
nour seems not to have been well pleased. In his repl}', 
among other things, indicating displeasure, he says : — 

" In regard to a chaplain, you should know, that his 
qualification and the bishop's letter of license, should be 
produced to the commissary and myself: but this person 
is also nameless." 

Washington answered :-^ 



178 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

'' When I spoke of a chaplain, it was in answer to 
yours. I had no person in view, though many have 
offered ; and I only said, if the country would provide 
subsistence, we could procure a chaplain, without think- 
ing there was offence in the expression."* 

Not^Aithstanding the importunity of Washington, no 
chaplain was provided, at least by the government. 
His solicitude on the subject continuing, he wrote to the 
President of the Council, about two years after the above 
correspondence with the Governour,' in words already 
quoted under another head. 

"The last Assembly, in their Supply Bill, provided for 
a chaplain to our regiment. On this subject I had often, 
witliout any success, applied to Governour Dinwiddie. I 
now flatter myself that your Honour will be pleased to 
appoint a sober, serious man for this duty." &c. 

Having seen the nature of his feelings, in regard to 
the Christian ministry, as evinced in his earlier days, wc 
pass to similar indications as attending his subsequent 
life. 

It has before appeared, that after his marriage, he was 
a constant attendant on divine worship ; and that tiie 
most friendly intercourse subsisted between himself and 
the minister of the parish — the latter being often a guest 
at Mount Vernon. The annexed portions of a letter 
from his pen, are inserted more as serving to fill up a 
chasm in our record, than for any thing very decisive. 
The letter is addressed to the Rev. Dr. Cooper, President 
of King's College, New- York ; its date, Mount Vernon, 
December 15, 1773 : 

* Governour Dinwiddie, t'iough;co:Tipelled by public opinion, to place 
Washinoton in honouiable station, Avas never his cordial friend. 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. l79 

" The favourable account which you were pleased to 
transmit to me of Mr. Custis's conduct at college, gave 
me very great satisfaction. I hoped to have felt an increase 
of it by his continuance at that place, under a gentleman 
so capable of instructing him in every branch of useful 
knowledge. 

" I am very sorry it was not in my power to see you 
while in these parts. I thank you very sincerely, sir, 
for your polite regard to Mr. Custis, during his abode at 
college, and through you, beg leave to offer my acknow- 
ledgments in like manner to the professors. With very 
great esteem and regard, reverend sir, I am," (fee. 

In his instructions to Colonel Arnold, in September, 
1775. when that officer was about to march against 
Quebec, he thus expresses himself : 

'' As the contempt of the religion of a couniry, by n- 
diculing any of its ceremonies, or affronting its ministers 
or votaries, has ever been deeply resented, you are to be 
particularly careful to restrain every officer and soldier 
from such imprudence and folly, and to pimish every in- 
stance of it. On the other hand, as far as lies in your 
powder, you are to protect and support the free exercise of 
the religion of the country, and the undisturbed enjo}'- 
ment of the rights of conscience in religious matters, 
with your utmost influence and authority." 

As showing the principle on which the above admo- 
nition was given — that it was not one of mere worldly 
policy, a private communication to the same officer, on 
the same subject, and of the same date, is here given : 

" I also give it in charge to you to avoid all disrespect 



150 EELIGimJS OPINIONS AND 

of the religion of the country, and its ceremonies. Pru- 
dence, pohcy, and a true Christian spirit, will lead us to 
look with compassion upon their errors without insulting 
them. While we are contending for our own liberty we 
should be very cautious not to violate the rights of con- 
science in others, ever considering that God alone is the 
judge of the hearts of men, and to Him only in this case, 
they are answerable." 

The following letter will add yet other evidences of the 
kind and respectful feelings which he ever cherished to- 
wards worthy ministers of Christ. The communication 
is addressed to the President of Congress, and dated Sep- 
tember 30, 1775 : 

" The Rev. Mr. Kirkland,* the bearer of this, having 
been introduced to the honourable Congress, can need no 
particular recommendation from me. But as he now 
wishes to have the affairs of his mission and public em- 
ploy put upon some suitable footing, I cannot but inti- 
mate my sense of the importance of his station, and the 
great advantages which may result to the United Colo- 
nies, from his situation being made respectable. 

''All accounts agree, that much of the favourable dis- 
position shown by the Indians, may be ascribed to hi>s 
labour and influence. He has accompanied a chief of 
the Oneidas to this camp, which I have endcavomed to 
make agreeable to him, both by civility and some small 
^presents. Mr. Kirkland also being in some necessity for 
money, to bear his travelling charges and other expenses, 

* The Rev. Samuel Kirkland was missionary to the Oneida Indians, 
among whom he resided many years. 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 181 

I have supplied him with thirty-two pounds lawful 
money." 

In writing to Governour Trumbull about this tiaic, 
he says : 

" Having heard that it is doubtful whether the Rev- 
erend Mr. Leonard, from your colony, will have it in his 
power to continue here as chaplain, I cannot but express 
some concern, as, I think, his departure will be a loss. 
His general conduct has been exemplary and praise- 
worthy ; in discharging the duties of his office, active 
and industrious. He has discovered himself to be a warm 
and steady friend to liis country, and taken great pains 
to animate the soldiers, and impress them with a know- 
ledge of the important rights we are contending for. 
Upon the late desertion of the troops, he gave a sensible 
and judicious discourse, holding forth the necessity of 
courage and bravery, and at the same time of obedience 
and subordination to those in command. 

" In justice to the merits of this gentleman, I thought 
it only right to give you this testimonial of my opinion of 
him, and to mention him to you as a person worthy of 
your esteem and that of the public." 

In a letter to the President of Congress written about 
the same time, he says : 

" I have long had it on my mind to mention to Con- 
gress, that frequent applications have been made to me 
respecting the chaplains' pay, which is too small to en- 
courage men of abilities. Some of them, who have left 
their flocks, are obliged to pay the parson acting for them 
more than they receive. I need not point out the great 
utility of gentlemen, whose lives and conversation are 
unexceptionable, being employed for that service in this 

16 



182 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

army. There are two ways of making it worth thei 
attention of such ; one is, an advancement of their pay ; 
the other, that one chaplain be appointed to two regi- 
ments. This last, I think, may be done without incon- 
venience. I beg leave to recommend this matter to 
Congress, whose sentiments hereon I shall impatiently 
expect." 

From the Orderly Book, July 9th, 1776. " The hon- 
ourable Continental Congress having been pleased to 
allow a chaplain to each regiment, with the pay of thir- 
ty-three dollars and one-third per month, the colonels or 
commanding officers of each regiment are directed to 
procure chaplains accordingly, persons of good charac- 
ters and exemplary lives, and to see that all inferior 
officers and soldiers pay them a suitable respect. The 
blessing and protection of Heaven are at all times neces- 
sary, but especially so in times of public distress and 
danger. The General hopes and trusts, that every 
officer and man will endeavour so to live and act as be- 
comes a Christian soldier^ defendirig the dearest rights 
and hberties of his country." 

To the President of Congress : — Trenton, 6th. Dec. 
1776. 

" By a letter of the 14tli ultimo from a Mr. Caldwell, 
a clergyman, and a stanch friend to the cause, who has 
fled from Elizabethtown and taken refuge in the 
mountains, about ten miles from hence, I am informed, 
that General or Lord Howe was expected in that town, 
to publish pardon and peace. His words, ' I have not 
seen his proclamation, but can only say he gives sixty 
days of grace, and pardons from the Congress down to 
the committee. No one man in the continent is to be 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 183 

denied his mercy.' In the language of this good man^ 
* The Lord deliver us from his mercy ! ' " 

From Valley Forge he wrote to the Rev. Israel 
Evans, as follows : 

" Valley Forge, 13th March, 1778. 

*' Reverend Sir, 

" Your favour of the 17th ultimo, enclosing the 
Discourse which you delivered to General Poor's bri- 
gade on the I8th of December, the day set apart for d 
general thanksgiving, never came to my hands till yes- 
terday. I have read this performance with equal atten- 
tion and pleasure ; and at the same time that I admire 
and feel the force of the reasoning, which you have dis- 
played through the whole, it is more especially incumbent 
upon me to thank you for the honourable but partial 
mention you have made of my character ; and to assure 
you that it will ever be the first wish of my heart to aid 
your pious endeavours to inculcate a due sense of the 
dependance we ought to place in that all-wise and 
powerful Being, on wliom alone our success depends ; 
and moreover to assure you, that, with respect and 
regard, I am, reverend sir," (fcc. &c. 

About this time, the late Dr. Dwight, President of 
Yale College, then cliaplain to General Parson's brigade, 
wrote to General Washington in the following language : 

" The application which is the subject of this letter, 
is, I believe not common in these American regions, yet 
it will not I hope on that account, be deemed impertinence 
or presumption. For several years I have been employed 
in writing a poem on the Conquest of Canaan by Joshua. 
This poem, upon the first knowledge of your Excellen- 
cy's character, I determined, with leave, to inscribe to 



184 RELIGI0ts OPINIONS AND 

you. If it will not be too great a favour, it will cer- 
tainly be remembered with gratitude." 

In answer Gen. Washington wrote, with the usual 
address : — 

" I yesterday received your favour of the 8th instant, 
accompanied by so warm a recommendation from Ge- 
neral Parsons, that I cannot but form favourable presa- 
ges of the merit of the work, you propose to honour me 
with the dedication of Nothing can give me more plea- 
sure, than to patronise the essaj^s of genius, and a 
laudable cultivation of the arts and sciences, which had 
begun to flourish in so eminent a degree, before the 
hand of oppression was stretched over our devoted 
country ; and I shall esteem myself happy, if a poem, 
which has employed the labour of years, will derive any 
advantage, or bear more weight in the world, by making 
its appearance under a dedication to me. I am," &c. 

In the year 1779 Gen. Washington addressed the 
following respectful letter to '' The Ministers, Elders, and 
Deacons of the Dutch Reformed Church at Rariton. — 

^'Camp, Middlebrook, 2 June, 1779. 

" Gentlemen, 

" To meet the approbation of good men cannot but 
be agreeable. Your affectionate expressions make it 
still more so. In quartering an army, and in supplying 
its v/ants, distress and inconvenience will often occur to 
the citizen. I feel myself happy in a consciousness 
that these have been strictly limited by necessity, and 
in your opinion of my attention to the rights of my 
fellow-citizens. I thank you, gentlemen, sincerely, for 
the sense you entertain of the conduct of the army, and 



CHARACTER OF WASFIINGTON. 185 

for the interest you take in my welfare. I trust the 
goodness of the cause and the exertions of the people, 
under Divine protection, will give us that honourable 
peace for which we are contending. Suffer me, gen- 
tlemen, to wish the Reformed Church at Rariton, a long 
continuance of its present minister and consistory, and 
all the blessings which flow from piety and religion. 
I am," (fcc. 

In August of 1789, Dr. Griffith, minister of Farifax 
Parish, Alexandria, but then Bishop elect of the Pro- 
testant Episcopal Church in Virginia, died in Phila- 
delphia. On the occasion. Dr. WiUiam Smith preached 
a funeral sermon, in which the following words 
occur: — 

"In the service of his country, during our late contest 
for Liberty and Independence, he was near and dear to 
our illustrious Commander-in-chief — he was also his 
neighbour, and honoured and cherished by him as a 
pastor and friend^' 

During his Presidency, Washington, as we have seen, 
attended public worship at Christ Church, Philadelphia. 
Of that church. Dr. White, was then the Rector ; as 
he was also Bishop of the diocese of Pennsylvania. This 
aged and venerable man, often recurs with grateful 
remembrance to the kindly intercourse which subsisted 
between himself and his illustrious parishioner. He 
was a frequent and honoured guest at the mansion of 
the President — always sharing his marked attentions, 
with those of Mrs. Washins^ton. 



16* 



1^6 REHg^US OPINIONS AND 



CHAPTER YII. 

HIS ALMS-GIVING. 

Kindness to the poor is made an essential fruit of 
Christian principle, by the authority of God's word. Nu- 
merous and express are the precepts of the inspired vo- 
lume, inculcating- this duty as one of high and paramount 
obligation. Without making it a substitute for real piety, 
it is uniformly declared to be a most excellent product of 
true religion, and necessary not only as an ornament but 
as a proof of sincerity in those professing the faith of the 
gospel. 

There are many, indeed, who manage to evade this 
sacred obligation, never being at a loss for excuses, which 
if not sound, are at least plausible. At one time they 
think the poor are idle, — let them work and they will not 
want. If this excuse will not avail, as many of the 
poor cannot work, then they say, '' We cannot afford to 
give " and it may be that they will at last, with conve- 
nient facility, take shelter under the authority of God's 
word, for that end quoting the apostle, — " If any provide 
not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, 
he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel." 
Washington was faithful in this as in his other duties ; 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 187 

not seeking apologies for neglect, but rather for opportu- 
nities of discharging the claims of so excellent a virtue. 

The following account rests on the authority of Mr. 
Johnson, former Governour of Maryland, and a soldier 
of the Revolution. The language of his informer was 
in substance as follows : 

^' Just before the revolutionary war, I took a trip to the 
Sweet Springs of Virginia. In consequence of the crowd, 
I at first found some difficulty in getting lodgings, but at 
length was fortunate enough to get a raattrass in the hut 
of a very honest baker, who often visited the springs for 
the benefit of his business. Among others who came 
daily to his shop for bread, there were sundry poor, sickly 
looking individuals who came in, and at his nod would 
take up each of them a loaf, and go out without paying, 
as others did. This led to an inquiry on my part, and 
to the assurance on his, that he had been authorized by 
Colonel Washington, who was at the springs, to furnish 
these people with bread, he engaging to pay the bill. 
This bill, he added, sometimes amounted to eighty dol- 
lars, and those who received the charity never knew 
from whence it came, entire secresy being enjoined on 
him by the benevolent donor." 

An English soldier, who had been an attendant of 
General Braddock during his fatal expedition, and at his 
death, after that event entered into the service of Wash- 
ington, and was attached to his person during the French 
and Indian war. After that he married, and a home 
was provided for him at Mount Vernon. "Being too 
old to follow his beloved connnander in the struggle for 
independence, he was left at home to enjoy the repose 
which old age requires. Children loved to visit the old 



188 RELIGH 



OPLNIONS AND 



soldier, and listen to the tales of the Indian war, which 
he delighted in telling. When Washington was passing 
round his farm, he often stopped to gladden the heart of 
of the gray-headed veteran, with kind words ; and he 
lived to enjoy the comforts which had been provided for 
him until he was eighty years of age." 

In the year 1769 Washington addressed the following 
kind proposal to a neighbour, Mr. W. R. : 

"Having once or twice of late heard you speak highly 
of the New- Jersey College, as if you had a desire of 
sending your son William there, (who, I am told, is a 
youth fond of study and instruction, and disposed to a 
studious life, in following which he may not only pro- 
mote his own happiness, but the future welfare of others.) 
I should be glad, if you have no other objection to it 
than the expense, if you would send him to that college 
as soon as convenient, and depend on me for twenty-five 
pounds a year for his support, so long as it may be ne- 
cessary for the completion of his education. If I live to 
see the accomplishment of this term, the sum here sti- 
pulated shall be annually paid ; and if I die in the mean 
time, this letter shall be obligatory upon my heirs or 
executors to do it, according to the true intent and mean- 
ing hereof. 

" No other return is expected or wished for this offer, 
than that you will accept it with the same freedom and 
good-will with which it is made, and that ycu may not 
even consider it in the light of an obligation or mention 
it as such ; for be assured, that from me it will never be 
known." 

In 1774 he wrote to Edward Snickers, from Williams- 
burg — '• Enclosed you will receive Mr. Hughes' warrant 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 



189 



in his own right for two thousand acres of land, the get- 
ting of whicli at this time, he must look upon as a 
very great favour, as the Governour has dispensed with 
two positive instructions to oblige him. 

" I got a gentleman of my acquaintance in Maryland 
to mention his case to Governour Eden, who promised to 
have the matter inquired into, and do what he could for 
his relief. Why it has not been done I cannot tell ; but 
if my contributing twenty or twenty-five pounds to his 
relief will procure his liberty, you may set me down for 
that sum, and I will pay it at any tune when the sub- 
scription is full. But how he is to get over the other 
matter of giving Maryland security for his good beha- 
viour, I know not." 

From a letter addressed to Mr. Lund Washington, the 
faithful manager of his estates during the revolutionary 
war, we make the following extract. The date of the 
letter is " Cambridge, 26th November, 1775. 

" Let the hospitality of the house, with respect to the 
poor, be kept up. Let no one go hungry away. If any 
of this kind of people should be in want of corn, supply 
their necessities, provided it does not encourage them in 
idleness : and I have no objection to your giving my mo- 
ney in charity, to the amount of forty or fifty pounds a 
year, when you think it well bestowed. What I mean 
by having no objection is, that it is my desire it should 
be done. You are to consider that neither myself nor 
wife is now in the way to do these good offices. In all 
other respects, I recommend it to you, and have no doubt 
of your observing the greatest economy and frugality, as I 
suppose you know that I do not get a farthing for my ser- 



190 EELI(!IPUS OPINIONS AND 

vices here, more than my expenses ; it becomes neces- 
sary, therefore, for me to be saving at home." 

" One of his ' managers,' after the war, was a Mr. 
Peake, a respectable man, who once said in reference to 
the subject before us : — ' I had orders from Gen. Wash- 
ington to fill a corn-house every )'ear, for the sole use of 
the poor in my neighbourhood, to whom it was a most 
seasonable and precious relief, saving numbers of poor 
women and children from extreme want, and blessing 
them with plenty.'" 

He also provided for the poor around him in other 
ways. <' He owned several fishing stations on the Po- 
tomac, at which excellent herring were caught, and 
which, when salted, proved an important article of food 
to the poor. For their accommodation he appropriated a 
station — one of the best he had, and furnished it with all 
the necessary apparatus for taking herring. Here the 
honest poor might fish free of expense, at any time, by 
only an application to the overseer ; and if at any time 
unequal to the labour of hauling the seine, assistance 
was rendered by the order of the General. By this means, 
all the poor round about bad the means of procuring a 
competent stock of this valuable food for their families." 

One Reuben Rouzy, of Virginia, owed him about 
1000 pounds. While President of the United States, 
one of his agents brought an action for the money ; judg- 
ment was obtained, and execution issued against the 
body of the defendant, who was taken to jail. He had 
a considerable landed estate, but this kind of property 
cannot be sold in Yirginia for debts, unless at the discre- 
tion of the owner. He had a lar^e family, and for the 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 191 

sake of his children preferred lying in jail to selling his 
land. 

" A friend hinted to him that probably General Wash- 
ington did not know any thing of the proceeding, and 
that it might be well to send him a petition, with a state- 
ment of the circumstances. He did so ; and the very 
next post from Philadelphia, after the arrival of his peti- 
tion in that city, brought an order for his immediate re- 
lease, together with a full discharge, and a severe repri- 
mand to the agent for having acted in such a manner. 

'Poor Rouzy was in consequence restored to his fami- 
ly, who never laid down their heads at night without 
presenting their prayers to heaven for their ' beloved 
Washington.' Providence smiled on the labours of the 
grateful family, and in a few years Rouzy enjoyed the 
exquisite pleasure of being able to lay the thousand 
pounds, with the interest, at the feet of his benefactor. — 
Washington reminded him that the debt was discharged. 
Rouzy replied, the debt of his family to the father of 
their country, and preserver of their parent, could never 
be discharged ; and the General, to avoid the importuni- 
ty of his grateful debtor, who would not be denied, ac- 
cepted the money — only, however, to divide it among 
Rouzy's children, which he immediately did." 

From some of the private letters before referred to as 
in the hands of the writer, a few extracts are here given 
confirming the incidents already detailed. 

He writes to his relative acting as his land agent ; the 
date ''Philadelphia, February 22, 1795 :— 

" Your letter of the 17th ult. came duly to hand ; but 
the pressure of business in which I am always involved 



192 RELIGlits OPINIONS AND 

whilst Congress are in session, has prevented my acknow- 
ledging the receipt of it at an earlier date. 

******* 

" Mrs. H. should endeavour to do what she can for 
herself ; — this is the duty of every one. But you must 
not let her suffer, as she has thrown herself upon me ; 
your advances on this account Avill be allowed always at 
settlement ; and I agree readily to furnish her with pro- 
visions ; and from the good character you give of her 
daughter, make the latter a present, in my name, of a 
handsome but not costly gown, and other things which 
she may stand mostly in need of. You may charge me 
also with the worth of your tenement on which she is 
placed ; and where perhaps it is better she should be, 
than at a greater distance from your attentions to her." 

In a subsequent letter there is another reference to the 
same case ; the date ''Mount Vernon, June 26, 1796 : 

" We arrived at this place on Monday last, where it is 
probable I shall remain till the middle of August, when 
pubHc business will require my attendance in Philadel- 
phia, until towards the end of September. I shall then 
return to this place again for Mrs. Washington, with 
whom, in the latter part of October, T shall make my last 
journey, to close my public life the 4th of March ; after 
which no consideration under heaven, that I can foresee, 
shall again withdraw me from the walks of private life. 
******* 

" I am sorry to hear of the death of Mrs. H, ; and 
will very cheerfully receive her daughter the moment I 
get settled at this place ; sooner it would not be possible; 
because this house will be as it has been, empty from the 



CHARACTER OF WASH.NGTON. 193 

time we shall quit it in October, until my final establish- 
ment in the spring. Such necessaries as she needs in 
the mean time, may, however, be furnished her at my 
expense, and if it is inconvenient for you to retain her 
in your own house, let her be boarded in some respect- 
able family, where her morals and good behaviour will 
be attended to ; at my expense also. Let her want for 
nothing that is decent and proper, and if she remains 
in your family, I wish for the girl's sake, as well as for 
the use she may be of to your aunt, when she comes 

here, that Mrs. would keep her industriously 

employed always, and instructed in the care and eco- 
nomy of housekeeping. 

'•' There is another reason against her coming here 
imtil I am permanently fixed ; and that is, that my 
house, I expect, will be crowded with company all the 
while we shall be at it, this summer ; as the ministers 
of France, Great Britain and Portugal, in succession, 
intend to be here — besides other strangers." 

Writing to the same from '' Mount Vernon, 11th Feb. 
1798," he says, in reference to the same person. " En- 
closed is a letter for S. H. left open for your perusal 
before it is forwarded to her ; with the contents of which, 
respecting the payment of ten pounds, I request you to 
comply ; and charge the same to the account of your 
collection of my rents."* 

* The individual to whom these private letters were addressed, 
once mentioned to the writer the following occurrence; which is here 
inserted as furnishing a pleasing example of the munificent disposition 
of Washington. — " Whilst acting as his agent," he observed, " I ac- 

cidenily ascertained that he owned a tract of land in county, of 

isiiich he had given me no account. Some short time afer the disco v- 

17 



194 RELK^pfUS OPINIONS AND 

In his Will, the following bequest is found, viz : — " To 
the trustees, governours, or by whatsoever other name 
they may be designated, of the academy in the town of 
Alexandria, I give and bequeath, in trust, four thousand 
dollars, or in other words, twenty of the shares which I 
hold in the bank of Alexandria, toward the support of a 
free-school, established at, and annexed to, the said aca- 
demy, for the purpose of educating orphan children, or 
the children of such other poor and indigent persons as 
are unable to accomplish it with their own means, and 
who, in the judgment of the trustees of the said semi- 
nary, are best entitled to the benefit of this dona- 
tion. The aforesaid twenty shares I give nnd bequeath 
in perpetuity, the dividends only of which are to be 
drawn for, and applied by the said trustees, for the time 
being, for the uses above mentioned, the stock to remain 
entire and untouched, unless indications of failure of the 

efy, being on a visit at Mount Vernon, with my family, I mentioned 
the fact 10 him, at which he seemed to be at a loss, expressing his sur- 
prise that such a claim should have escaped him. When the conver- 
sation had ended, I remarked, in a jocular tone, that I had had a 
somewhat singular dream about that land, a few nights before. He 
asked me what is was. I replied, that I had dreamed he had made mc 
a present of the tract. He smiled, and observed that my dreaming 
knack was a very convenient one, but why did I not dream at once 
that he had given me Mount Vernon? A few days after this, in set- 
ting out for my residence, the General accompanied myself and wife to 
the carriage, when in taking leave of us, he put into my hands a 
small slip of paper, requesting me to examine it at my leisure. Think- 
incr it probably contained memoranda of some kind, relating to my 
agency, I put it into my pocket, and did not look at it for some time. 
When I did so, however, I was surprised to find, that in the space of 
six written lines, he had made me a conveyance of the land in— — 
county* The tract contained upwards of eleven hundred acres. 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 195 

said bank should be so apparent, or a discontinuance 
thereof should render a removal of this fund necessary. 
In either of these cases, the amount of the stock here de- 
vised is to be vested in some other bank, or public insti- 
tution, whereby the interest may with regularity and cer- 
tainty be drawn and applied as above. And, to prevent 
misconception, my meaning is, and is hereby declared to 
be, that these twenty shares are in lieu of, and not in ad- 
dition to, the £1000 given by a missive letter some years 
ago, in consequence whereof an annuity of £50 has 
since been paid towards the support of this institution." 
Many other instances might here be added, of the 
benevolence of" the father of his country," — the insertion 
of which, would especially evince one peculiarity mark- 
ing his character, which was, that he did not, in every 
case, postpone them till death. He either thought it a 
duty, or desired to share the luxury of doing good in his 
life time. Besides the annuity secured by him, some 
years before his death, to the Alexandria free school, he 
also endowed "Liberty Hall Academy, Rockbridge 
County," now Washington College, with the sum of 
$10,000 — the amount of stock given him by Virginia 
in the James River Company. 



l96 KELIGl^l^ OPINIONS AND 



CHAPTER VIII. 



HIS FILIAL LOVE. 



The obligations of filial affection have their founda- 
tion alike in the dictates of nature and of revelation. 
He that can wantonly violate them, in doing so. must 
trample on some of the plainest demands of moral pro- 
jjriety, and set at naught the most solemn injunctions of 
the Divine Word. In barbarous lands, indeed, this sacred 
duty has been cruelly disregarded, and thereby practically 
denied. There, has usage often authorized the child, in 
raising his parricidal arms against those who gave him 
birth ; especially when age and infirmities rendered them 
unfit for tlie business of life, and a supposed burden to 
the community. But a far difierent standard of filial 
morality has been established in Christian lands, and of 
consequence a \Aidely different practice prevails. Here, 
if is a duty of paramount obligation. Indeed so obvious 
and reasonable a one is it, that they are scarcely thought 
deserving of praise who discharge it, seeing its glaring 
neglect, would stamp the character with a mark of pecu- 
liar infam}^ And yet, however monstrous a vice filial 
ingratitude may be, its existence is not so rare, as to 
render its opposite virtue without its claims to connnenda- 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 197 

tion. There is certainly in the world a great deal of 
unkind ness in children towards their parents, — enouo-h 
to cause much unhappiness in the latter, if not to tarnish 
the characters of the former. The}^ have a claim, then, 
to the tribute of our approbation, who, resisting every 
temptation to this sin, do faithfully and affectionately 
exemplify a virtue of such distinguished excellence, and 
important social effects as that of filial love. 

"Every child," says a pious writer, " is bound to enter- 
tain the most respectful and reverential thoughts concern- 
ing his parents, and concerning the parental character, 
He is to remember, and regard his parents, as standing 
in the most venerable, and the most endearing, of all 
earthly relations to him ; as those to whom, under God, 
he owes his being, and the great mass of his blessings. 
He is to regard them as the persons, to whose kindness, 
care, and government, he has been committed by God 
himself. He is to consider them as the best of all friends ; 
the most ailiectionate, the most faithful, the most confi- 
dential, the most persevering, the most watchful, the most, 
unwearied. 

'• The words uttered by children, which respect theif 
parents in any manner, are to correspond with the 
thoughts, which have been here recommended, and, if 
effectual care is taken to make the thoughts right, the 
words will be right of course. 

" The deportment of children, when their parents are 
present, ought to exhibit every mark of respect. The 
honour which God commands them to give, ought in 
the literal sense to be here invariably rendered without 
qualification, without reserve, without reluctance. Howr 
ever humble the station, the circumstances, the educar 

17* 



198 RELIGIOT^OPINIONS AND 

tion, or the manners of parents may be ; the child instead 
of discovering that lie is ashamed of them, is bound 
cheerfully to acknowledge their proper superiority ; to 
exhibit towards them a respectful deference ; and always 
to prevent even a remote suspicion, that he is reluctant 
to give them their proper place. 

" When children have left their father's house ; their 
circumstances become materially changed, and with them 
in several respects, their duties — 

#♦***#*♦ 

*' Still, as they are more indebted to their parents than 
to any other human beings, and incomparably more in- 
debted, at least in ordinary cases ; their remaining duties 
to their parents are numerous and important. In this 
situation, more than any other, they are required to 
contribute to the maintenance of their parents. This is 
made by our Saviour so important a branch of the duty 
under consideration, that he declares the 'Pharisees,' 
who by a fraudulent comment on the fifth command- 
ment, had released men from the obhgation in question, 
to have 'made this command of God of none effect 
through their tradition.' In this period, also, they are 
bound as much as may be, to nurse and soothe their 
parents in pain and sickness ; to bear patiently and 
kindly their infirmities of body and mind ; to alleviate 
their distresses ; to give them the cheering influence of 
their company and conversation ; and in these and vari- 
ous other ways, to serene and brighten the evening, but 
too frequently a melancholy one, of old age." 

That the subject of our present work was an example 
of this, as of many other virtues, we have very satisfac- 
r;ory ground of belief and assurance. 



CliARACTER OF WASHINGTON " 190 

It would seem that from liis earliest youth he had been 
an obedient and dutiful child. This was the testimony 
of his mother, in a conversation with certain distinguished 
officers of the French army, who, after the War, paid 
her a visit of compliment at her residence in Fredericks ■ 
burg-, Virginia. In answer to their encomiums on her 
son, she simply remarked, that " George had always 
been a good boy." That it was so, let the subjoined 
narrative attest. 

That a mother should love such a son as George 
proved himself to be, and that a son should love such a 
mother, as Mrs. Washington certainly was, is not at all 
surprising. From his earliest days she had exerted her 
whole influence to imbue him with a love of whatever is 
lovely and of good report ; and her exertions had not 
been in vain. How well he repaid her for her kind care 
may be seen in the following story : — 

" AVhen about fourteen years of age, he became strong- 
ly inclined to go to sea, with a view of enlisting in the 
service of ' the mother country,' at that time engaged in 
a war with France and Spain, 

" It was surprising that a youth so young, and who 
had been abroad so little, should have had the moral 
courage to quit country and friends, on a purpose so full 
of danger. But so it was. He was resolved to go. Pre- 
parations had been made, A midshipman's birth had 
been procured for him on board a British man-of-war, 
then lying in sight of his mother's house ; and even his 
trunk was on board, 

" When the precise time arrived that he was to go, he 
passed into the sitting room of his mother, to take his 
leave of her. She was seated and in tears. 



200 RELIGIO#i OPINIONS AND 

" He approached her, and putting his arms about her 
neck, affectionately kissed her. He was about to bid 
her ' farewell ; ' but he hesitated. Her affection and 
affliction unmanned him. He was young and ambi- 
tious ; and at that early day the spirit of patriotism, which 
so nobly characterized him in after life, in respect to his 
country, was stirring within him. Yet the filial feelings 
of his heart were stronger than any other ties ; and here, 
nobly sacrificing his pride and ambition, he relinquished 
his purpose, and staid to comfort her who gave him birth . 

" It was a noble self-denial. And in the now more 
than forty years, that the writer of this has been upon the 
stage, and watched the course of human events, he can 
bear his testimony to the uniform prosperity of such as 
have honoured father and mother. There is a promise 
recorded in favour of filial piety, and a God, who never 
forgets it, and never fails to fulfil it. 

" But my story is unfinished. The boat which was 
conveying officers and men and baggage from the shore 
to the ship, continued to ply. At length she returned on 
shore for the last time. A signal flag was hoisted to 
denote that all was ready. 

'' George was standing viewing the movements. 
Several of his companions now entered the boat, Avhich 
pjesently was urged towards the ship by several lusty 
oarsmen. 

" As they approached her, the signal gun for saiUng 
was fired. The flash followed by the repo't was noticed 
by George, soon after which the sails rose majestically 
one after another. 

" George could no longer bear the sight with calmness, 
but turned away, and entered the room where his mother 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 201 

sat. She obset-v^ed the grief which sat upon his counte- 
nance ; upon which she said : — 

'^ ' I fear, my son, that you have repented your deter- 
mination to stay at home and make me happy.' 

'• ' My dear mother,' he replied, at the same time placing 
liis arms about her neck, and giving vent to his feelings 
with a gush of tears, ' I did strongly wish to go, but I 
could not endure being on board the ship, and know that 
you were unhappy.' 

'• ' Well, my dear boy,' said Mrs. Washington, return- 
ing his embrace, ' I deeply feel your tenderness towards 
your mother, and trust that God will not let your filial 
affection go unrewarded.' "* 

About eighteen months after the relinquishment of 
his maritime project, W^ashington, as has been before 
noticed, entered into the service of Lord Fairfax as a 
surveyor. During the three years in which he was thus 
engaged, his home was with his brother at Mount Ver 
non, a part of his leisure time being spent with his mo- 
ther at Fredericksburg, or rather on her farm directly 
opposite to that town. During one of these visits, we 
find him, with filial solicitude, guarding the interests of 
his widowed parent, in the following communication 
made to his brother Lawrence, then in Willian:isburg, 
as a member of the House of Burgesses. The date of 

*In this story we have the facts as generally believed in relation to 
that event in Washington's life. It is due, however, to the claims of 
historical accuracy, to say, that the narrative is probably incorrect in 
some of its details. If things ever reached the crisis there recorded, and 
■which is not here denied, it is certain that the scene is not properly laid 
at Mrs. Washington's residence, near which no ship of war ever rode. 
Mount Vernon was the place more probably, below which, in the Poto- 
mac, the vessel is said to have been, 



202 RELI^^S OriNIONS AND 

the letter, of which we give an extract, is May 5th, 
1749. 

"iVs my mother's term of years is out at the place at 
Bridge Creek, she designs to settle a quarter on the 
piece at Deep Run, hut seems hackward in doing it, till 
the right is made good, for fear of accident. It is reported 
here, that Mr. Spotswood intends to put down the ferry 
at the wharf where he now lives, and that Major Fran- 
cis Taliaferro intends to petition the Assembly to have it 
kept from his house, over against my mother's quarter, 
and through the very heart and best of the land. Where- 
as he can have no other view in it, than for the con- 
venience of a small mill, which he has on the water-side, 
w4iich will not grind above three months in the twelve, 
and on account of the great inconvenience and prejudice 
it will be to us, I hope it will not be granted. Besides, I 
do not see where he can possibly have a landing-place 
on his side, that will ever be sufficient for a lawful land- 
ing, by reason of the steepness of the banks. I tbink 
we sufter enough from the free ferry, without being trou- 
bled with such an unjust and iniquitous petition as 
that ; but I hope, as it is only a flying report, that he 
will consider better of it, and drop his pretensions." 

The next reference to bis mother on record is found in 
a letter to Robert Orme, aid-de-camp of General Brad- 
dock ; dated. Mount Vernon, April 2, 1755 : 

" The arrival of a good deal of company (among 
whom is my mother, alarmed at the report of my inten- 
tion to attend your fortunes,) deprives me of the pleasure 
of waiting upon you to-day, as I had designed. I there- 
fore beg that you will be kind enough to make my com- 
pliments and excuse to the General, who I hope to hear 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 203 

is greatly recovered from his indisposition, and recruited 
sufficiently to prosecute his journey to Annapolis." 

A few days after Braddock's defeat, and his own won- 
derful preservation in that battle — whilst lialting at Fort 
Cumberland, to recover a little his strength which had 
been wasted by a severe sickness — he wrote to his mo- 
ther in the following language. His object seems to 
have been, to relieve her maternal solicitude on his ac* 
count. 

"Fort CuxMberland, 18th July, 1755. 

" Honoured Madam, 

<' As I doubt not but you have heard of our defeat, 
and perhaps had it represented in a worse light, if possi- 
ble, than it deserves, I have taken this earliest oppor- 
tunity to give you some account of the engagement as it 
happened, within ten miles of the French Fort, on Wed- 
nesday, the 9th instant. 

" Captains Or me and Morris, two of the aids-de-camp, 
were wounded early in the engagement, which rendered 
the duty harder upon me, as I was the only person then 
left to distribute the General's orders, which I w as scarce- 
ly able to do, as I was not half recovered from a violent 
illness, that had confined me to my bed and wagon for 
above ten days. I am still in a weak and feeble condi- 
tion, which induces me to halt here two or three days 
in the hope of recovering a little strength, to enable me 
to proceed homewards ; from whence, I fear, I shall not 
be able to stir till towards September ; so that I shall not 
have the pleasure of seeing you till then, unless it be in 
Fairfax. Please to give my love to Mr. Lewis and my 
sister ; and compUments to Mr. Jackson, and all other 



204 RELIGiprS OPINIONS AND 

friends that inquire after me. I am, honoiireil madams 
your most dutiful son." 

In a few weeks subsequent to the above, he wrote 
again : — 

" Mount Vernon, 14th August, 1755. 

" Honoured Madam," 

'If it is in my power to avoid going to the Ohio 
again, I shall ; but if the command is pressed upon me, 
by the general voice of the country, and offered upon 
such terms as cannot be objected against, it would re- 
flect dishonour on me to refuse it ; and that, I am sure, 
must or ought to give you greater uneasiness, than my 
going in an honourable command. On no other terms 
will I accept of it. At present I have no proposals made 
to me, nor have I any advice of such an intention, 
except from private hands." 

The following extract from a Diary, which he kept 
in the year 1760, the year after his marriage, will 
supply a gratifying instance of his filial devotion. 

'Jan. 16th. — I parted with Mr. Gisbourne, leaving 
Colonel Champe's before the family was stirring, and 
about ten o'clock reached my mother's, where I break- 
fasted, and then went to Fredericksburg with my brother 
Samuel, whom I found there. About noon it began 
snowing, the wind at north-west, but not cold. Was 
disappointed of seeing my sister Lewis, and getting a 
few things, which I wanted out of the stores. Returned 
in the evening to my mother's ; all alone with her." 

From this period he was in the habit of regularly 
visiting his mother as long as she hved. Mount Vernon 
being about fifty miles from Fredericksburg, he per- 
formed this duty once or twice a year, except whea 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 206 

his public iSngagements prevented. In the Fredericks- 
burg Newspaper of March 12th, 1789, we find the 
subjoined notice of one of his visits. 

"On Saturday evening last, His Excellency General 
Washington arrived in town from Mount Vernon, and 
early on Monday morning he set out on his return. 
The object of his Excellency's visit was probably to take 
leave of his aged mother^ sister, and friends, previous to 
his departure for the new Congress, over the councils 
of which, the united voice of America has called him to 
preside." 

This was the last interview which Washington ever 
had with his mother. She died on the 25th of August 
following, in her 83d year, whilst he was in New- York. 
The writer has before him, a part of the mourning dress 
which he wore, as a token of respectful and affectionate 
remembrance of her who had given him birth. On 
opening her Will he was found to be her principal heir 
and chosen Executor. She gave him all her landed 
property. The language of the Will is as follows : — 

" Imprimis^ I give to my son General George Wash* 
ington, all my lands on Accokeek Run, in the County 
of Stafford," &c. 

The Will concludes thus : — 

''Lastly, I nominate and appoint my son General 
George Washington, Executor of this my Will; and 
as I owe few or no debts, I direct my Executor to give 
no Security, nor to appraise my Estate, but desire the 
same may be allotted to my Devisees with as little 
trouble and delay as may be — desiring their acceptance 
thereof, as all the token I now have to give them of my 
love for them." 

18 



206 RELIGIom^ OPINIONS ANO 

The following letter, written by General Washington 
to his only sister, Mrs. Betty Lewis, of Fredericksburg, 
Virginia, will attest the filial sensibility with which he 
regarded the death of his mother, and the pious resigna- 
tion cherished by him in reference to the event. 

^' New-York, 13th September, 1789. 

" My Dear Sister, 

'' Colonel Ball's letter gave me the first account of my 
mother's death. Since that, I have received Mrs. Carters 
letter, written at your request, and previous to both, I was 
prepared for the event, by some advices of her illness 
communicated to your son Robert. 

"Awful and affecting as the death of a parent is, there is 
consolation in knowing that Heaven has spared ours to 
an age beyond which few attain, and favoured her with 
the full enjoyment of her mental faculties, and as much 
bodily strength as usually falls to the lot of fourscore. 
Under these considerations, and the hope that she is 
translated to a happier place, it is the duty of her rela- 
tives to yield due submission to the decrees of the Creator. 
When 1 was last at Fredericksburg, I took a final leave 
of my mother, never expecting to see her more. 

'' It will be impossible for me at this distance, and cir- 
cumstanced as I am, to give the smallest attention to the 
execution of her will ; nor, indeed, is much required, if, 
as she directs, no security should be given, or appraise- 
meiit made of her estate, but that the same should be al- 
lotted to the devisees with as little trouble and delay as 
may be. How far this is legal. I know not. Mr. Mercer 
can, and I have no doubt would readily advise you if 
asked, which I wish you to do. If the ceremony of in- 
ventoring, appraising, &c. can be dispensed with, all the 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 207 

rest, as the will declares that few or no debts are owing, 
can be done with very little trouble. Every person in 
that case, may immediately receive what is specifically 
devised. 

" Were it not that the specific legacies'" which are left 
to me by the will, are meant, and ought to be considered 
and received as mementos of parental affection, in the 
last solemn act of life, I should not be desirous of receiv- 
ing or removing them ; but in this point of view, I set a 
value on them much beyond their intrinsic worth. 

" Give my love to Mrs. Carter, and thank her for 
the letter she wrote to me. I would have done this 
myself, had I more time for private correspondence. Mrs. 
Washington joins me in best wishes for her, yourself, and 
all other friends ; and I am, with the most sincere re- 
gard, your affectionate brother." 

May we not commend to the youth of our country, this 
example of persevering and respectful filial love. It com- 
menced with his childhood, and distinguished him till its 
venerated object left the world, nor failed to move him 
with tenderest recollections in contemplating that event. 
And surely the wonted blessing attended it. The divine 
promise was richly fulfilled in his histor)^ He " lived 
long upon the earth, and it was well with him all the 
days of his life.'' Filial piety is not only lovely, but it is 
ever advantageous ; the approbation of the wise and 
good, with the blessing of God, crowning it with pros- 
perity here, and bright rewards hereafter, its source be- , 
ing conscientious and religious. 

* The legacies alluded to, consisted of a few plain articles of house- 
hold furniture, 



208 RBLIGIO^ OPINIONS AN© 



CHAPTER IX. 

HIS CONJUGAL LOVE. 

The importance of this affection to the happiness of 
families, communities, and nations, has long since been 
estabhshed by the experience of mankind. On its decided 
existence in those united in the bonds of holy wedlock, 
the benefits of that divine institution mainly depend. 
Marriage is the fruitful source of the most of that felicity 
which may be attained in this world. It is the foundation of 
all the grateful connexions of life, and instrumental of the 
purest delights to those, who derive from it their unbought 
claims, to the joys of reciprocal love and tenderness'. It 
is the prolific root, which teeming with the blossoms and 
fruits of domestic and social sympathy, diffuses so much 
sweet odoiii", . o much real delight through the family and 
neighbourhood circles. Who can tell how much sufier- 
ing has been avert '» ', how much sorrow has been allayed, 
how much evil mitigated, or how much comfort has been 
imparted, by the mutual love and encouragement of hus- 
band and wife, parents and children, brothers and sis- 
ters, with the auxiliary kindness addeJ, of kindred, united 
in acknowledged, though feebler bonds. 

Of this sacred relationship, love is the hallowed cement, 
and bountiful nurse of all its numerous progeny of 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 209 

blessings — of its solicitudes, cares and labours for the 
young — as of its sympathies and charities diffused over 
the wider surface of connexions, relatives and friends. 

Of this important virtue the father of his country was 
a distinguished example. For more than forty years he 
owned the connubial tie, and during that protracted term, 
he discharged the duties of the nuptial vow, with unim- 
peachable fidelity. He was himself denied the blessing 
of issue. But this privation afforded an additional op- 
portunity of displaying his conjugal tenderness, in the 
uniform kindness and care with which he protected, fos- 
tered, and educated the offspring of his wife, the fruit of 
her former marriage. 

We pass to the proofs of this virtue as furnished by 
the varied and frank productions of his own pen. 

In a letter to Richard Washington, London, written 
some months after his marriage, he says, — 

" I am now, I believe, fixed at this seat with an 
agreeable partner for life ; and I hope to find more happi- 
ness in retirement, than I ever experienced amidst the 
the wide and bustling world. I thank you heartily for 
your good wishes. Why will you not give me an oc- 
casion of congratulating you in the same manner? 
None would do so more cordially than, dear sir, your 
most obedient and obliged servant.'' 

In the year 1771, young Custis^the son of Mrs. Wash- 
ington, proposed to make the tour of Europe, with his 
tutor, the reverend Mr Boucher, of Annapohs, Maryland. 
In relation to that object, Gen. Washington wrote to Mr. 
Boucher, in a strain of sensibility, both in reference to the 
youth and his mother, that must be gratifying to the 
reader : 

18* 



210 RELIG^S OPINIONS AND 

'^ Upon the whole," he says, in conclusion, " it is impos- 
sible for me at this time to give a more decisive answer, 
however strongly inclined I may be to put you upon a 
certainty in this affair, than I have done ; and I should 
think myself wanting in candour, if I concealed any 
circumstance from you, which leads me to fear, that there 
is a possibility, if not a probability, that the whole design 
may be totally defeated. Before I ever thought myself at 
liberty to encourage this plan, I judged it highly reason- 
able and necessary that his mother should be consulted. 
I laid your first letter and proposals before her, and desired 
that she would reflect well before she resolved, as an un- 
steady behaviour might be a disadvantage to you. Her 
determination was, that if it appeared to be his inclination 
to undertake this tour, and it should be judged for his be- 
nefit, she would not oppose it, whatever pangs it might 
give her to part with him. To this declaration she still 
adheres, but in so faint a manner, that I think, with her 
fears and his indifference, it would soon be declared he 
has no inclination to go. I do not say that this will be 
the case. I cannot speak positively, but as this is the 
result of my own reflections upon the matter, I thought 
it but fair to communicate it to you. 

" Several causes I believe, have concurred to make 
her view his departure, as the time approaches, with 
more reluctance than she expected. The unhappy situa- 
tion of her daughter has in some degree fixed her eyes 
upon him as her only hope. To what I have already 
said, I can only add, that my warmest wishes are, to see 
him prosecute a plan at a proper period, which I may 
be sure will redound to his advantage, and that nothing 
shall be wanting on my part to aid and assist him." 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 211 

In his care for this young man, he wrote to the Pre- 
sident of King's college, New- York, under whose super- 
intendence he had been placed, for the purpose of com- 
pleting his education. His letter is dated " Mount Ver- 
non 15. December 1773. 

"The favourable account which you were pleased to 
transmit to me, of Mr. Custis's conduct at college, gave 
me very great satisfaction . I hoped to have felt an increase 
of it by his continuance at that place, mider a gentle- 
man so capable of instructing him in every branch of 
useful knowledge. But this hope is at an end ; and it 
has been against my wishes, that he should quit college, 
in order that he may enter soon into a new scene of 
Hfe, which I think he would be much fitter for some 
years hence, than now.* But having his own inclinations, 
the desires of his mother,and the acquiescence of almost 
all his relatives to encounter, I did not care, as he is 
the last of the family, to push my opposition too far, and 
I have therefore submitted to a kind of necessity." 

We give the following letter entire, as affording a most 
satisfactory testimony to the tender and considerate 
regard of the writer for his beloved spouse. It was 
written to her on occasion of his accepting the com- 
mand of the American army, at the hands of the second 
Continental Congress, of which he was a member. 

" Philadelphia, 18th June, 1775. 

" My Dearest, 

" I am now set down to write to you on a subject 
which fills me with inexpressible concern ; and this con- 
cern is greatly aggravated and increased, when I reflect 

* His mariidge with the daughter of Mr. Benedict Calvert, which 
look place on the 3d of February, 1774. 



213 EELIGIO^ OPINIONS AND 

upon the uneasiness 1 know it will give you. It has 
been determined in Congress, that the whole army- 
raised for the defence of the American cause, shall 
be put under my care, and it is necessary for me 
to proceed immediately to Boston to take upon me the 
command of it. 

'• You may believe me, my dear Patsy, when I assure 
you, in the most solemn manner that, so far from seek- 
ing this appointment, I have used every endeavour 
in my power to avoid it, not only from my unwilling- 
ness to part with you and the faniily, but from a con- 
sciousness of its being a trust too great for my capacity ; 
and that I should enjoy more real happiness in one 
month with you at home, than I have the most distant 
prospect of finding abroad, if my stay were to be seven 
times seven years. But as it has been a kind of destiny 
that has thrown me upon this service, I shall hope that 
my undertaking it is designed to answer some good pur- 
pose. You might, and I suppose did perceive, from the 
tenor of my letters, that I was apprehensive I could not 
avoid this appointment, as I did not pretend to intimate 
when I should return. That was the case. It was 
utterly out of my power to refuse this appointment, 
without exposing my character to such censures, aa 
would have reflected dishonour upon myself, and given 
pain to my friends. This, I am euie, could not, and 
ought not, to be pleasing to you, and must have lessen- 
ed me considerably in my own esteem. I shall rely, 
therefore, confidently on that Providence, which has 
heretofore preserved and been bountiful to me. not doubt- 
ing but that 1 shall return safe to you in the fall. I 
shall feel no pain from the toil or the danger of the 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 213 

campaign ; my unhappiness will flow from the uneasi- 
ness I know you will feel from being left alone. I 
therefore beg that you will summon your whole forti- 
tude, and pass your time as agreeably as possible. 
Nothing will give me so much sincere satisfaction as 
to hear this, and to hear it from your own pen. My 
earnest and ardent desire is, that you would pursue 
any plan that is likely to produce content, and a tolerable 
degree of tranquillity ; as it must add greatly to my 
uneasy feelings to hear, that you are dissatisfied or 
complaining at what I really could not avoid. 

" As life is always uncertain, and common prudence 
dictates to every man the necessity of settling his tern 
poral concerns, whilst it is in his power, and whilst the 
mind is calm and undisturbed, I have, since I came to 
this place (for 1 had not time to do it before I left home,) 
got Colonel Pendleton to draft a Will for me by the di- 
rections I gave him, which Will I now enclose. The 
provision made for you in case of my death, will, 1 
hope, be agreeable. 

" I shall add nothing more, as I have several letters to 
write, but to desire that you will remember me to your 
friends, and to assure you that I am, with the 
most unfeigned regard, my dear Patsy, your affection- 
ate," &c. 

In a letter to his brother, written two days after the 
above, he says : 

" I shall hope that my friends will visit and endeavour 
to keep up the spirits of my wife, as much as they can, 
for my departure will, I know, be a cutting stroke upon 
her ; and on this account alone I have many disagree- 



214 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

able sensations. I hope that you and my sister, 
although the distance is great, will find so much 
time this summer, as to spend a little of it at Mount 
Vernon." 

In October he wrote again to the same brother — John 
A. Washington. 

" I am obliged to you for your advice to my wife, and 
for your intention of visiting her. Seeing no great pros- 
pect of returning to my family and friends this winter, 
1 have sent an invitation to Mrs. Washington to come 
to me, although I fear the season is too far advanced to 
admit this with any tolerable degree of convenience, 
especially if she should, when my letters get home 
be in New Kent, as I believe the case will be. I have laid 
before her a statement of the difficulties, however, which 
must attend the journey, and left it to her own choice." 

Some weeks after the above, he writes to Joseph Reed, 
from the Camp at Cambridge : — 

" I thank you for your frequent mention of Mrs. 
Washington. I expect that she will be in Philadelphia 
about the time this letter may reach you, on her way 
hither. As she and her conductor, who I suppose will 
be Mr. Custis, her son, are perfect strangers to the road, 
the stages, and the proper place to cross Hudson's River? 
by all means avoiding New- York, I shall be much 
obliged by your particular instructions, and advice to her. 
I imagine, as the roads are bad and the weather cold, 
her stages must be short, especially as I presume her 
horses will be fatigued ; as when they get to Philadelphia, 
they will have performed a journey of at least four hun- 
dred and fifty miles, my express having found her 



CHAUACfER OP WASHINGT*ON. 2l5 

atnong her friends near Williamsburg, one hundred 
and fifty miles below my own house." * 

He writes to the same December 15th, '75. 

" Since my last, I have had the pleasure of receiving 
your favours of the 28th ultimo, and the 2d instant. I 
must again express my gratitude for the attention shown 
to Mrs. Washington at Philadelphia. It cannot but be 
pleasing, although it did, in some measure, impede the 
progress of her journey." 

To the same, he writes, December 25th, 1775. 

" I am so much indebted for the civilities shown to 
Mrs. Washington on her journey hither, that I hardly 
know how to acknowledge them. Some of the enclosed 
(all of which I beg the favour of you to put into the 
post-office) are directed to that end, and I shall be ob- 
liged to you for presenting my thanks to the command- 

"Mrs. Washington arrived in camp on the llth of December, 
accompanied by her son, Mr. Custis, and his wife. — It seems that 
some persons thought her in danger at Mount Vernon, which stands 
on the bank of the Potomac River, and is accessible to armed 
ships of the largest size. Lund Washington had written to the 
General. — "Many people have made a stir about Mrs. W. con- 
tinuing at Mount Vernon, but I cannot think there is any danger. 
The thought I believe originated in Alexandria ; from thence it got 
to Loudoun, and I am told the people of Loudoun talk of sending a 
guard to conduct her up to Berkley, with seme of their principal men, 
to persuade her to leave this place and accept their offer. Mr. 
John A. Washington wrote, pressing her to leave Mount Vernon. 
She does not believe herself in danger. Lord Dunmore will hardly 
himself venture up this river; nor do I believe he will send on that 
errand. Surely, her old acquaintance, the attorney, who, with his 
family, is on board his ship, would prevent his doing an act of that 
kind. You may depend I will be watchful, and upon the least 
alarm persuade her to remove." 



2i6 RELIGl^S OPINIONS AND 

ing officer of the two battalions of Philadelphia, for the 
honour done to her and ine, as also to any others equally 
entitled. I very sincerely offer you the comphments of the 
season, and wish you and Mrs. Reed, and your fire-side, the 
happy return of many of them, being, dear sir, yours," (fee. 

To John Augustine Washington, he writes, under 
date of New- York, April 29, 1776. 

'' Mrs. Washington is still here, and talks of taking 
the small-pox ; but I doubt her resolution. Mr. and Mrs. 
Custis will set out in a few days for Maryland." 

In May he wrote to the same : 

" Mrs. Washington is now under inoculation in 
this city ; and will, I expect, have the small-pox favour- 
ably. This is the thirteenth day, and she has very few 
pustules. She would have written to my sister, but 
thought it prudent not to do so, notwithstanding there 
could be but little danger of conveying the infection in 
this manner. She joins me in love to you and all the 
little ones. I am with every sentiment of regard, dear 
sir, your most affectionate brother." 

Addressing the Marquis De La Fayette, then in 
Paris, 30th September, 1779, he says : 

" Mrs. Washington, who set out for Virginia when 
we took the field in June, has often in her letters to me 
inquired if I had heard from you, and will be much 
pleased at hearing that you are well and happy. In her 
name, as she is not here, I thank you for your polite at- 
tention to her, and shall speak her sense of the honour 
conferred on her by the Marchioness." 

The following is found in his last Will and Testa- 
ment : — 

"Item. To my dearly beloved wife, Martha 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 217 

Washington^ I give and bequeath the use, profit, and be- 
nefit of my whole estate, real and personal, for the term 
of her natural Ufe, except such parts thereof as are spe- 
cially disposed of hereafter. My improved lot in the 
town of Alexandria, situated on Pitt and Cameron streets, 
I give to her and her heirs forever; as I also do my 
household and kitchen furniture of every sort and kind, 
with the liquors and groceries which may be on hand at 
the time of my decease, to be used and disposed of as she 
may think proper. 

" And whereas, it has always been my intention, 
since my expectation of having issue has ceased, to con- 
sider the grand-children of my wife in the same light 
as I do my own relations, and to act a friendly part by 
them, more especially by the two who we have raised 
from their earliest infancy : Wherefore, I give and be- 
queath, " 6cc. 

To these strong proofs of the warm and devoted at- 
tachment of Washington to his excellent wife, we only 
add the following touching incident : 

On the sad night of his dissolution, when attend- 
ants were about to prepare his body for the grave, a mi- 
niature likeness of Mrs. Washington was found on his 
breast, where it had hung, suspended by a ribbon from 
his neck, for more than forty years. 



19 



218 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS ANB 



CHAPTER X. 

HIS RESPECT FOR SUPERIORS. 

There are few dispositions of the Imman heart 
of more worth, than that which incHnes us to pay a 
due respect to properly constituted authority, and render 
a wiUing obedience to its legitimate commands. With- 
out this important virtue in cheerful exercise, it is mani- 
fest that the ends of society cannot be attained. All that 
is precious in the social state, would soon fall a sacrifice 
to the opposite spirit. Where there was once peace, 
quiet, comfort and prosperity, " wild uproar now lording 
it wide," would convert the grateful scene into one of 
universal confusion, distress and misery. 

That the tendency of our age is to an abuse of liberty, 
and the sacrifice of its blessings at the shrine of an ex- 
aggerated equality among men, is obvious to the most 
superficial observation. There is abroad a morbid dread 
of power, which scarcely admits of the existence of any 
kind or degree of government. Rulers are regarded in 
the light of mere automata, elevated, not to govern, but 
to be governed ; so that every thing like free and intel- 
ligent action on their part, is considered an offence 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 219 

against the majesty of thosCj who have delegated the 
authority held by them. 

That the jealousy of power, duly chastened and dis- 
creetly guarded, is fit and salutary in all communities, 
does not admit of a doubt. The histories of most go- 
vernments sufficiently demonstrate this. But it is equally 
clear and certain, that the restraints thrown around the 
chosen ministers of law, by the ultra spirit of the times, 
are destructive of the real ends of government ; and 
must eventually bring about anarchy and its horrid train 
of attendant evils, or make way for the iion rule of a 
bold and triumphant despotism. 

Government is a divine ordinance. "• The powers 
that be are ordained of God." The mode and means 
of their creation is very much left by the Almighty to 
the will of nations. But when exalted to the seat of 
authority, — reverence, obedience, and support become 
high and rehgious duties. 

The example of him who seems to have been right, 
in almost every thing he did, will be found here also of 
great value to his countrymen, especially to youth. 
From early life did he strikingly display this virtue. Its 
foundation, indeed, as is generally the case, was laid be- 
neath the paternal roof. He was there early taught to 
obey. And from tlie beginning he did obey. His duti- 
ful conduct towards his widowed mother, was uniformly 
and consistently exhibited. He thus evinced his high 
sense of filial obhgation, and the duty of submission to 
those by nature authorized to rule. This spirit animated 
him all his days, and attended him in all the relations 
of social fife. With the unequivocal instances thereof, 
his history aboujids, 



220 RELIG1^3 OPINIONS AND 

In a letter to Governour Dinwiddie, dated Alexan- 
dria, 24th November 1756, he says : 

"At this place, on ray way to Williamsburg, I receiv- 
ed your Honour's letter of the 16th instant. I shall take 
care to pay the strictest obedience to j^our orders^ and the 
opinion, so far as I can. 

'' I am very sorry any expression in my letter should 
be deemed unnuvnnerly. I never intended insults to 
any ; on the contrary, I have endeavoured to demean 
myself with the proj)er respect due to superiors. In 
the instance mentioned, I can truly say, so far from in- 
tending a charge or aflront of any kind, it was distant 
from my thoughts. 

*' I am sorry to find that my best endeavours of late 
meet with unfavourable constructions. What it proceeds 
from, I know not. If my open and disinterested way of 
writing and speaking, has the air of pertness and freedom, 
I shall correct my error by actingreservedly,and shall take 
care toobeymy orders without offering any thing more.*' 
A few weeks after the above, he wrote to the same : 
" Ihope, after receiving a peremptory order, the mention- 
ing of these things will not appear presuming or odd. I 
do not hesitate a moment to obey. On the contrary I shall 
comply as soon as I can. I mean nothing more than to 
point out the consequences that must necessarily attend 
this step, as I apprehend you were not thoroughly ap- 
prised of our situation. Some, sir, who are inclined to 
put an unfavourable construction on this ingenuous re- 
cital, may say that I am loath to leave Winchester. I 
declare, upon my honour, I am not, but had rather a 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 221 

thousand times be at Fort Cumberland, if I could do the 
duty there. I am tired of this place, and the life I lead 
here ; and if, after what I have said, you should think it 
necessary for me to reside at that fort, 1 shall acquiesce 
with pleasure and cheerfulness, and be freed from much 
anxiety, plague, and business. 

♦ ***##«# 

" The wampum and tomahawks I have purchased. 
The want of the other articles may occasion some mur- 
muring, and there are very few things suitable at Fort 
Cumberland. The Indians expect to be sent back upon 
horses. Do you approve that they should ? I will not 
take upon me to buy horses without your orders." 

He soon wrote again to the same : ''I am a little at a 
loss to understand the meaning of your orders, and the 
opinion of the Council, when I am duected to evacuate 
all the stockade forts, and at the same time to march only 
one hundred men to Fort Cumberland, and to continue 
the Uke number here to garrison Fort Loudoun. If the 
stockade forts are all abandoned, there will be more men 
than are required for these two purposes; and the com- 
munication between them of near eighty miles, will be 
left without a settler, unguarded and exposed. But I 
mean nothing more by this intimation, than to ascertain 
your intentions, to which I would willingly pay strict 
obedience." 

The following note, by the Editor of Washington's 
writings, adds illustration to our subject : 

" On the 12th Jan. Col. Washington wrote to the Gor 
vernour, respecting the trial of several subaltern officers and 
soldiers for a mutiny. ' I thought it needless,' said he, < to 
send the proceedings of the court-martial, or to ask war^ 

ir 



S2*2 RELIGI^g OPINIONS AND 

rants for execution, as we have no law to inflict punish- 
ment, even of the smallest kind. I shall keep those 
criminals in irons, and if possible, under apprehensions 
of death, until some favourable opportunity may counte- 
nance a reprieve.' The Governour replied, ' that as the 
men were enlisted and paid with money raised for the 
King's service, he conceived they were subject to t!ie ar- 
ticles of war, in the same manner as the King's regular 
forces.' But so tenacious was Colonel Washington in 
upholding the rights of the Assembly and the laws of the 
Colony, that he did not accede to this opinion. He con- 
sidered the Assembly as the only proper authority to pre- 
scribe rules of discipline for an army, raised and maintain- 
ed at their expense ; and he believed himself amenable 
to the civil laws for any acts of severity not countenanced 
by that code. This was conformable to the scrupulous 
exactness with which, during all his future mihtary ca- 
reer, and frequently when the interest of the public 
service offered the strongest temptations to the contrary, 
he yielded impHcit obedience to the civil power.' " 

With one decisive indication of this spirit, as occurring 
during the revolutionary war, we close this chapter. — 
Writing to Joseph Reed under date of Cambridge, 3d 
March, 1776, he says : 

"This, you will observe, was contrary to my expecta- 
tion and plan ; yet, as I thought it a matter of the last 
importance to secure the communication of the North 
River, I did not deem it expedient to countermand the 
raising of the Connecticut regiments on account of the 
pay. If I have done wrong, those members of Congress, 
who think the matter ought to have been left to them, 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 223 

must consider my proceedings as an error of judgment, 
and that a measure is not always to be judged by the 
even t . 

" It is moreover worthy of consideration, that in cases 
of extreme necessity Uke the present, nothing but deci- 
sion can ensure success ; and certain I am, that Chnton 
had something more in view by peeping into New- York, 
than to gratify his curiosity, or make a friendly visit to 
his friend Mr. Tyron. However, I am not fond of 
stretching my powers ; and if the Congress will say, 
' Thus far and no farther you shall go/ I wall promise 
not to offend w^iilst I continue in the service." 

Thus, by obedience, was he trained for command. 
Wisely respecting the claims of authority in others, sel- 
dom has the same been more respected, than in his own 
person. " It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in 
his youth." Having learned in so good a school, he ex- 
ercised power, w^hen entrusted to him, with consummate 
skill and wisdom. Acquainted with the rights oi supe- 
riors^ he also understood those which belonged to infe- 
riors. Thus he seldom erred in governing — never 
requiring too much sjbmission, or receiving less than 
was due. With so much judgment did he always hit 
the golden mean, that never was there less complaint of 
the personal bearing of a Ruler, or a more cheerful 
obedience rendered to one in authority. He verified 
throughout the sacred truth, that, " whosoever humbleth 
himself shall be exalted.*' 



224 HELIGIOUS OPIN ONS AND 



CHAPTER XI 



HIS SELF-DENIAL. 



There is nothing which human nature regards with 
more aversion, than the duty here presented for conside- 
ration. Our earUest and strongest impulses ever incHne 
us to unrestrained indulgence. This inordinate ten- 
dency of the appetites and affections, is the fruit of a dis- 
eased and perverted nature in man, and distinguishes 
him wherever he is found on the face of the earth. Vic- 
tory over this morhid propensity is a rare achievement ; 
indeed we may say, it is never really effected, without the 
special aid of Heaven. By the force of motives drawn 
from reason and interest, men may at times have 
accomplished something in this way. Assured that no- 
thing great or good was ever compassed without it, they 
have persuaded themselves to encounter a present incon- 
venience, in the hope of gaining thereby an eventual 
recompense. In such cases, however, you may not look 
for perseverance or consistency of practice. It is only 
when prompted by religious principle, that the duty will 
be embodied in the habits, and find therein an unaffected 
and imiform exemphfication. 

In the history of Washington we have a striking 
example of this spirit. Without a particle of the stoic 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 225 

about him ; yea, with a very considerable taste for social 
delights and domestic enjoyments ; — he did, from a very 
early period of life, evince a constant willingness to en- 
counter perils and endure privations in any cause, deem- 
ed by him of sufficient importance to merit the sacrifice. 
To surrender personal ease and indulgence, at the call of 
duty, seems to have been a fixed principle of his hfe. 

In his first public undertaking, which was to visit and 
deliver a letter from Governour Dinwiddie, to the com- 
mandant of the French forces on the Ohio, we have 
an early development of this strong trait of character- 
He was then a very young man — being little more than 
twenty-one years of age, and in possession of an ample 
fortune. Yet, at the voice of his country, did he cheer- 
fully resign the ease and comforts of home, and encounter 
a journey, in the depth of winter, and through a savage 
wilderness, the performance of which cost him every 
privation, exposed him to many dangers, and subjected 
him to incredible fatigue. 

A few extracts from the journal of his tour shall sup- 
ply the proofs of his self-sacrificing spirit. His journey 
commenced about the 1st of November, 1753. 

"I was commissioned and appointed by the Honour- 
able Robert Dinwiddie, Esquire, Governour of Virginia, to 
visit and deliver a letter to the commandant of the French 
forces on the Ohio, and set out on the intended journey 
on the same day ; the next I arrived at Fredericksburg, 
and engaged Mr. Jacob Vanbraam to be my French in- 
terpreter, and proceeded with him to Alexandria, where 
we provided necessaries. From thence we went to 
Winchester, and got baggage, horses, (fcc, and from 



226 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

thence we pursued the new road to Will's Creek, where 
we arrived on the 14th of November. 

'' Here I engaged Mr. Gist to pilot us out, and also 

hired four others as servitors, and in company 

with those persons left the inhabitants next day. 

" The excessive rains and vast quantity of snow 
which had fallen, prevented our reaching Mr. Fra- 
zier's, unti) Thursday 22d. 

" December 7th. — At twelve o'clock, w^e set out for the 
fort, and were prevented arriving there until the 11th, by 
excessive rains, snows, and bad travelling through many 
mires and swamps ; these we were obhged to pass, to 
avoid crossing the creek, which was impassable, either 
by fording or rafting, the water was so high and rapid. 

" 14th. — As the snow increased very fast, and our 
horses daily became weaker, I sent them off unloaded, 
under the care of Barnaby Currin and two others, to 
make all convenient despatch to Venango, and there to 
wait our arrival, if there was a prospect of the river's 
freezing ; if not, then to continue down to Shannopin's 
Town, at the fork of the Ohio, and there to wait until we 
came to cross the Alleghany ; intending myself to go 
down by water, as I had the offer of a canoe or two. 

" As I found many plots concerted to retard the In- 
dians' business, and prevent their returning with me, 
I endeavoured all that lay in my power to frustrate their 
schemes, and hurried them on to execute their intended 

design I cannot say that ever in my life I 

suffered so much anxiety, as I did in tbis affair. I saw 
that every stratagem, which the most fruitful brain could 
invent, w^as practised (by the French) to win the Half- 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 227 

King to their interest ; and tliat leaving him there, was 
giving them the opportunity aimed at, &c. 

" 16th. — We had a tedious and very fatiguing passage 
down the creek. Several times we had liked to have 
been staved against rocks ; and many times were obliged, 
all hands, to get out and remain in the water half an 
hour or more, getting over the shoals. At one place the 
ice had lodged, and made it impassable by water ; we 
were, therefore, obliged to carry our canoe across the 
neck of land, a quarter of a mile over. We did not 
reach Venango until the 22d, where we met with our 
horses. 

" 23d. — Our horses were now so weak and feeble, 
and the baggage so heavy, (as we were obliged to provide 
all the necessaries which the journey would require,) 
that we doubted much their performing it. Therefore, 
myself and others, except the drivers, who were obliged 
to ride, gave up om* horses for packs, to assist with the 
baggage. I put myself in an Indian w^alking-dress, 
and continued with them three days, until 1 found 
there was no probabiUty of their getting home in any 
reasonable time. The horses became less able to travel 
every day ; the cold increased very fast ; and the roads 
were becoming much worse by a deep snow, continual- 
ly freezing ; therefore, as I was uneasy to get back, to 
make report of my proceedings to his Honour the Go- 
vernour, I determined to prosecute my journey, the 
nearest way through the woods, on foot. 

" Accordingly, I left Mr. Vanbraam in charge of our 
baggage, with money and directions to provide necessaries 



228 RELIGIOtTS OPINIONS AND 

from place to place for themselves and horses, and to 
make the most convenient despatch in travelling. 

" I took my necessary papers, pulled off my clothes, 
and tied myself up in a watch-coat. Then, with gun 
in hand, and pack on my back, in which were my pa- 
pers and provisions, I set out with Mr. Gist, fitted in 
the same manner, on Wednesday the 26th. The day 
following, just after we had passed a place called Mur- 
dering Town, where we intended to quit the path and 
steer across the country for Shannopin's Town, we fell 
in with a party of French Indians, who had lain in 
wait for us. One of them fired at Mr. Gist or me, not 
fifteen steps off, but fortunately missed. We took this 
fellow into custody, and kept him until about nine o'clock 
at night ; then let him go, and walked all the remain- 
ing part of the night without making any stop, that we 
might get the start so far, as to be out of the reach of their 
pursuit the next day, since we were well assured they 
would follow our track as soon as it was light. The 
next day we continued travelling until quite dark, and 
got to the river about two miles above Shannopin's. 
We expected to have found the river frozen, but it Avas 
not, only about fifty yards from each shore. The ice, 
I suppose, had broken up above, for it was driving in 
vast quantities. There was no way for getting over but on 
a raft, which we set about with but one poor hatchet, and 
finished just after sun-setting. This was a whole day's 
work ; we next got it launched, then went on board of 
it, and set off ; but before we were half way over, we 
Avere jammed in the ice in such a manner, that we ex- 
pected every moment our raft to sink, and ourselves to 
perish. 1 put out my setting-pole to try to stop the raft. 



(CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 229 

that the ice might pass by, when the rapidity of the 
stream threw it with so much violence against the pole, 
that it jerked me out into ten feet water ; but I fortunately 
saved myself by catching hold of one of the raft-logs. 
Notwithstanding all our efforts, we could not get to 
either shore, but were obliged, as we were near an 
island, to quit our raft and make to it. 

" The cold was so extremely severe, that Mr. Gist 
had all his fingers and some of his toes frozen, and the 
water was shut up so hard, that we found no difficulty 
in getting off the island on the ice in the morning, and 
went to Mr. Frazier's. 

******* 

" Tuesday the 1st of January, we left Mr. Frazier's 
house, and arrived at Mr. Gist s, at Monongahela, the 
2d, where I bought a horse and saddle. The 6th, we 
met seventeen horses loaded with materials and stone for 
a fort at the Fork of the Ohio, and the day after, some 
families going out to settle. This day we arrived at 
Will's Creek, after as fatiguing a journey as it is possi- 
ble to conceive, rendered so by excessive bad weather. 
From the 1st of December to the 15th, there was but 
one day on which it did not rain or snow incessantly ; 
and throughout the whole journey, we met with nothing 
but one continued series of cold, wet weather, which oc- 
casioned very uncomfortable lodgings, especially after 
we had quitted our tent, which was some screen from the 
inclemency of it. 

"On the 11th, I got to Bel voir, where I stopped one 
day to take necessary rest ; and then set out and arrived 
in Wilhamsburg on the IGth, when I waited upon his 
Honour the Governour, with the letter I had brought from 

20 



230 . RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

the French commandant^ and to give an account of 
the success of my proceedings." &c. 

In the mihtary expedition to the West, which soon 
followed the report of his first visit as contained in his 
journal, just quoted, and of which he was, originally, 
second in command, and then, first, in consequence of 
the death of the commanding officer, Colonel Fry — the 
same trials, difficulties, and privations were willingly 
encountered. To this, his letters written at various 
periods during the campaign, frequently refer. The 
following passages are taken from a communication to 
Governour Dinwiddie, dated "Camp, at the Great Mea- 
dows, 29th May, 1754 : 

^- And here I cannot forbear answering one thing more 
in your letter on this head, which, too, is more fully 
expressed in a paragi-aph of Colonel Fairfax's letter 
to me, as follows ; — 'If on the British establishment, 
officers are allowed more pay, the regimentals they are 
obliged annually to furnish, and their necessary table and 
other incidental expenses, being considered, little or no 
savings will be their portion.' 

«' I beUeve it is well known, that we have been at the 
expense of regimentals ; and it is still^better known, that 
regimentals, and every other necessary, which we were 
under an indispensable necessity of purchasing for this 
expedition, w^ere not to be bought for less in Virginia 
currency, than they would cost British officers in sterling 
money ; which ought to have been the case to put us on 
a parity in this respect. Then, Colonel Fairfax observes, 
that their table and other incidental charges prevent 
them from saving much. They have the enjoyment of 
their pay, which we neither have in one sense nor the 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 231 

Other. We are debarred the pleasure of good living ; 
and, sir, I dare say you will acknowledge, that, with 
one who has always been used to it, it must go somewhat 
hard to be confined to a little salt provision and water^ 
and to do duty, hard, laborious duty, which is almost 
inconsistent with that of a soldier, and yet have the same 
reductions as if he were allowed luxuriously. My pay, 
according to the British establishment and common 
exchange, would be near twenty shillings per day ; in 
the room of which, the Committee, (for I cannot in the 
least imagine your Honour had any hand in it,) has pro- 
vided twelve shillings and six-pence, so long as the service 
continues, whereas one half of the other is confirmed to 
British officers for life. Now if we should be fortunate 
enough to drive the French from the Ohio, as far as your 
Honour would please to have them sent, in any short 
time, our pay^will not be sufficient to discharge our first 
expenses. 

" I would not have you to imagine from this, that I 
have said all these things to have the pay increased, but 
to justify myself, and show you that our complaints are 
not frivolous, but founded upon strict reason. 

'• Now, sir, as I have answered your letter, I shall beg 
leave to acquaint you with what has happened since I 
wrote by Mr. Gist. I there informed you that I had 
detached a party of seventy-five men to meet fifty of the 
French, who, we had inteUigence, were upon their 
march towards us. About nine o'clock the same night, 
I received an express from the Half-King, who was en- 
camped with several of his people about six miles off, 
that he had seen the tracks of two Frenchmen crossing 



232 VELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

the road, and that, behind, the whole body were lying 
not far off, as he had an account of that number passing 
Mr. Gist's. 

" I set out with forty men before ten, and it was from 
that time till near sunrise before we reached the Indians' 
camp, having marched in small paths, through a heavy 
rain, and a night as dark as it is possible to conceive. 
We were frequently tumbling one over another, and 
often so lost, that fifteen or twenty minutes search would 
not find the path again." 

During the whole of the war, which was now com- 
mencing, we find him ever acting upon the same prin- 
ciple, of patiently enduring every inconvenience growing 
necessarily out of the service. 

In October, 1757, he wrote from Fort Loudoun, 
(Winchester), to the Speaker of the House of Bur- 
gesses : — ^ . 

'' I applied to the Governour for permission to go down 
and settle my accounts before he leaves the country, 
and to represent the melancholy situation of our distress- 
ed frontiers, which no written narrative can so well 
describe, as a verbal account to a judicious person in- 
clined to hear. In conversation, the questions resulting 
from one relation beget others, till matters are perfectly 
understood ; whereas the most expHcit writing will be 
found deficient. But his Honour was pleased to deny his 
leave, thinking my request unreasonable, and that I 
had soiiiC party of pleasure in view." 

In writing to the Governour he said : 

'• It was not to enjoy a party of pleasure, that I 
wanted leave of absence. I have been indulged with 
few of those winter or summer." 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 233 

About this period, Colonel Washington's health be- 
came bad. By the urgent advice of Dr. Craik he left 
the army, and retired to Mount Vernon, where he was 
reduced so low by dysentery and fever, that it was 
more than four months before he w^as able to resume 
his command. 

He was not willing however to be idle, as will appear 
from the folio v/ing letter, written to the President of the 
Council, and dated "Mount Vernon, 20th February, 
1758:— 

'• I set out for Williamsburg the day after the date of 
my letter, but found I was unable to proceed, my fever 
and pain increasing upon me to a high degree ; and the 
physicians assured me, that I might endanger my life 
by prosecuting the journey. 

" In consequence of that advice, I returned to this 
place again, and informed your Honour of the reason of 
my detention, by the post, whom I met on the road, and 
who, I have since understood, never lodged my letter 
in the post-office at Fredericksburg, which is the cause of 
my now writing to the same purport. When I shall be 
sufficiently able to attempt the journey again, I cannot 
say ; but I shall make no delay after I am in a con- 
dition to perform it." 

Some short time after this. Colonel Washington 
resumed his command, and served till the end of the 
war. During the five years of its continuance, his 
suffisrings and trials were many and great. A more 
perplexing situation no man ever filled. And strange to 
say, one of the most fruitful sources of vexation and 
annoyance to him, was the ill-nature and unkindness 
of the Governour under whose authority he acted, and 

20* 



234 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

that with the utmost deference and humility. To this the 
Speaker of the House of Burgesses al hides, in the fol- 
lowing language, addressed to Washington, in reference 
to Dinwiddie's contemplated departure for England. 

" We have not yet heard who is to succeed him. God 
grant it may be somebody better acquainted with the 
unhappy business we have in hand, and who by his 
conduct and counsel, may dispel the cloud now hanging 
over this distressed country. Till that event, I beg, my 
dear friend, that you will bear, so far as a man of honour 
ought, the discouragements and slights you have too oft- 
en met with, and continue to serve your country, as I 
am convinced you have always hitherto done, in the 
best manner you can, with the small assistance afforded 
you." 

Thus did he continue to bear his difficulties, and labour 
unceasingly for the good of his country, till the close of 
the year 1758, when the war and his service ended 
together. 

Writing to Richard Washington, a friend in London, 
under date of " Mount Vernon 20th October, 1761," he 
thus expressed himself in reference to his dress : — 

" On the other side is an invoice of clothes, which I beg 
the favour of you to purchase for me, and to send them by 
the first ship bound to this river. As they are designed for 
wearing apparel for myself, I have committed the choice 
of them to your fancy, having the best opinion of your 
taste. / leant neither lace nor embroidery. Plain 
clothes^ with gold or silver buttons, if worn in genteel 
dress, are all that I desire. I have hitherto had my 
clothes made by one Charles Lawrence. Whether it be 
the fault of the tailor, or of the measure sent, I cannot 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 235 

say, but, certain it is, my clothes have never fitted me 
well. I therefore leave the choice of the workman to 
you. I enclose a measure, and, for a further direction, 
I think it not amiss to add, that my stature is six feet ; 
otherwise rather slender than corpulent." 

During the Revolutionary War, the same spirit of 
self-denial seems to have attended him. In a letter to 
the President of Congress, dated New- York, 22d April, 
1776, he thus writes : 

" I give in to no kind of amusements myself; and 
consequently, those about me can have none ; but are con- 
fined from morning till evening, hearing and answering 
the applications and letters of one and another, which 
Avill now, I expect, receive a considerable addition, as the 
business of the northern and eastern departments, if I 
continue here, must, I suppose, pass through my hands. 
If these gentlemen (his aids) had the same relaxation 
from duty as other officers have in their common routine, 
there would not be so much in it. But, to have the mind 
always upon the stretch, scarce ever unbent, and no hours 
for recreation, makes a material odds. Knowing this, and 
at the same time how inadequate the pay is, I can scarce 
find inclination to impose the necessary duties of their 
office upon them. To what I have here said, this further 
remark may be added, and it is a matter of no small 
concernment to me, and in its consequences, to the pubhc ; 
namely, that while the duty is hard and the pay small, 
it is not to be wondered at, if there should be found a 
promptness in them to seek preferment, or in me to do 
justice to them by facilitating their views ; by which 
means I must lose their aid, when they have it most in 
their power to assist me." 



233 RELIGIDUS OPINIONS AND 

During the darkest period of the war, he wrote his 
brother John A. Washington, date,"Camp, near the Falls 
of Trenton, 18th December, 1776 : 

" You can form no idea of the perplexity of my si- 
tuation. No man, I believe, ever had a greater choice 
of difficulties, and less means to extricate himself from 
them. However, under a full persuasion of the justice 
of our cause, I cannot entertain an idea, that it will fi- 
nally sink, though it may remain for some time under a 
cloud." 

About eight days after this letter was written, the 
battle of Trenton was fought ; in which Providence once 
more smiled upon the American cause, and dispelled the 
heaviest cloud that had ever frowned upon our hopes of 
freedom. The reUef to the Commander-in-Chief w^as as 
great as his preceding anxieties had been bitter. 

To Doctor John Cochran, Surgeon and Physician 
General, he wrote from West Point, 16th August, 1779 : — 

'' I have asked Mrs. Cochran and Mrs. Livingston 
to dine with me to-morrow ; but am I not in honour 
bound to apprize them of their fare ? As I hate decep- 
tion, even where the imagination only is concerned, I 
will. It is needless to premise, that my table is large 
enough to hold the ladies. Of this they had ocular proof 
yesterday. To say how it is usually covered, is rather 
more essential ; and this shall be the purport of my letter. 

'• Since our arrival at this happy spot, w^e have had 
a ham, sometimes a shoulder of bacon, to grace the head 
of the table ; a piece of roast beef adorns the foot ; and a 
dish of beans, or greens, almost inperceptible, decorates 
the centre. When the cook has a mind to cut a figure, 
which I presume will be the case to-morrow, we have 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 237 

two beef-steak pies, or dishes of crabs, in addition, one on 
each side of the centre dish, dividing the space and re- 
ducing the distance between dish and dish to about six 
feet, which without them would be near twelve feet apart. 
Of late he has had the surprising sagacity to discover, 
that apples will make pies ; and it is a question, if, in the 
violence of his efforts, we do not get one of apples, instead 
of having both of beef-steaks. If the ladies can put up 
with such entertainment, and will submit to partake of 
it on plates, once tin, but now iron, (not become so by the 
labour of scouring) I shall be happy to see them, and am, 
dear Doctor, yours,'" <fec. 

To Major-General Greene he wrote, from Head- 
duarters at Morristown, 22d January, 1780 : — 

" Appearances and facts must speak for themselves. 
To these I appeal. I have been at my present quarters 
since the first day of December, and have not a kitchen 
to cook a dinner in, although the logs have been put 
together some considerable time by my own guard. Nor 
is there a place at this moment, in which a servant can 
lodge, with the smallest degree of comfort. Eighteen be- 
longing to my family, and all Mrs. Ford's, are crowded 
together in her kitchen, and scarce one of them able to 
speak for the colds they have caught. 

'= 1 have respeatedly taken notice of this incon- 
venience, to Major Gibbs, and have as often been told, that 
boards were not to be had. I acquiesced, and believe 
you will do me the justice to acknowledge, that it never 
has been my practice to involve the public in any ex- 
pense which I could possibly avoid, or derive benefita. 
which would be inconvenient or prejudicial to others. 
To share the common lot, and participate the incon- 



238 RELIGimJS OPINIONS AND 

veniences, which the army, from the pecuUarity of our 
circumstances, are obliged to undergo, has with me, been 
a fundamental principle ; and while I conceived this to 
be the case universally, I was perfectly content. That 
it is not so, 1 appeal to your own observation ; though I 
never intended to make the remark, nor should I have 
done it, but for the question which involuntarily drew 
from me the answer, which has become the subject of 
your letter. 

'• Equally opposed is it to my wishes and expectation, 
that you should be troubled in matters respecting my 
accommodation, further than to give the necessary orders, 
and furnish materials, without which orders are nuga- 
tory. From what you have said, I am fully satisfied 
that the persons to whom you entrusted the execution of 
the business are alone to blame ; for certain I am, they 
might by attention have obtained, equally with others, 
as many boards as would have answered my purposes 
long ere this. Far, very far is it from me, to censure 
any measure you have adopted for your own accommoda- 
tion, or for the more immediate convenience of Mrs. 
Greene. At all times I think you are entitled to as 
good, as circumstances will afford, and in the present con- 
dition of your lady, 1 conceive that no delay could 
be admitted. I should therefore, with great wihingness, 
have made my convenience yield to hers, if the point 
had lain there, being very sincerely, your obedient and 
affectionate servant," &c. 

In regard to the simplicity of his dress the following 
anecdote will serve for illustration : — 

" One day. Colonel Meade, a valued friend of Wash- 
ington, was met by Mr. Custis, the then youthful grand- 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 239 

son of Mrs. Washington ; Colonel Meade inquired if he 
should find the General at the house, or if he was out 
on the farm. Mr. Custis not knowing Colonel Meade, 
replied that the General was out ; and giving directions 
as to the part of the farm on which he would probably 
be found, added, '• You will meet, sir, with an old gentle- 
man, riding alone, in plain drab clothes, a broad brim- 
med white hat, a hickory switch in his hand, and carry- 
ing an unbrella, with a long staff, which is attached to 
his saddle-bow, — that, sir, is General Washington ! " 
The old friend of Washington replied, '• Thank you, 
thank you, young gentleman ; I think, if I fall in with 
the General, I shall be apt to know him." 



240 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS ANi5 



CHAPTER XII 



HIS DISINTERESTEDNESS. 

In proportion to the many evils confessedly flowing 
from a selfish prijiciple^ are the numerous blessings 
arising from the influence of a large and liberal spirit. 
While the first aims at private good alone, unmindful of 
the interests or weal of others ; the last looks upon the 
general wplfare with a generous concern, and seeks to 
promote the same, by willing efforts, labours, and sacri- 
fices. " No man liveth to himself." The good of the 
whole claims a common concern among all the members 
of the social body ; and he who does not thus respect 
his relative obligations, violates a sacred law of Heaven, 
and subjects himself to a condemnation, as severe as the 
offence is injurious. On the other hand the faithful and 
conscientious observer of this claim, will find a high re- 
ward in the approbation of God ; and, in the gratitude 
and applause of the virtuous among men. 

Of this excellent principle of action, we have a high 
example in the immortal subject of our present work. 
Through life, it was one of his distinguishing character- 
istics. It controlled him alike in war and peace. It 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 241 

was always one of the most vigorous springs by which 
his conduct was actuated. It is impossible to study 
his character without seeing that, in all his labours and 
sacrifices, he was governed by an unfeigned concern 
for the happiness of others, without regard to his own 
personal convenience or comfort. 

Let us turn to his writings again for the evidences of 
this valuable trait. 

Writing to John Robinson, Speaker of the House of 
Delegates, under date of ^' Mount Vernon. 20th April, 
1755," he says : — 

" I little expected, when I wrote you last, that I should 
so soon engage in another campaign ; but in doing it, 
I may be allowed to claim some merit, if it is considered 
that the sole motive which invites me to the field, is, the 
laudable desire of serving my country^ not the gra- 
tification of any ambitious or lucrative 'plans. This, 
I flatter myself, will manifestly appear by my going as a 
volunteer, without expectation of reward, or prospect of 
obtaining a command, as I am confidently assured it is 
not in General Braddock's power to give me a commis- 
sion that I would accept. Perhaps, by many others, the 
above declarations might be construed into self-applause, 
which, unwilling to lose, I proclaim myself. But, by 
you, sir, I expect it will be viewed in a different light, 
because you have sympathized in my disappointments, 
and lent your friendly aid to reinstate me in a suitable 
command ; the recollection of which can never be lost 
upon a mind that is not insensible of obligations, but 
always ready to acknowledge them. 

" This is the reason why I am so much more un- 
reserved in the expression of my sentiments to you, than 

21 



242 EELK^^S OPINIONS AND 

I should be to the world, whose censures and criticisms 
often place good designs in a bad light. But [to be in- 
genuous, I must confess that I have other intentions in 
writing this letter ; for if there is any merit in my case, I 
am unwiUing to hazard it among my friends, without 
this exposition of facts, as they might conceive that some 
advantageous offers had engaged my services, when, 
in reality, it is otherwise ; for I expect to be a consider* 
able loser in my private affairs by going." 

Soon after Braddock's defeat, and the return of Wash- 
ington from that disastrous campaign, he wrote to his 
brother, Augustine Washington, then in Wilhamsburg, 
as a member of the Assembly, the date, " Mount Ver- 
non, 2d August, 1755. 

" I am not able, were I ever so willing, to meet you in 
town, for I assure you, it is with som.e difficulty, and 
much fatigue, that I visit my plantations ; so much has 
a sickness of five weeks' continuance reduced me. 

But so little am I dispirited at what has 

happened, that I assure you, I am always ready, and 
always wilhng, to render my country any services that 
I am capable of, but never upon the terms I have done ; 
having suffered much in my private fortune, besides 
impairing one of the best of constitutions. 

" I was employed to go a journey in the winter, when, 
I believe, few or none would have undertaken it— and 
what did I get by it ? My expenses borne ! I then 
was appointed, with trifling pay, to conduct a handful of 
men to the Ohio. What did I get by that? Why, 
after putting myself to a considerable expense, in equip- 
ping and providing necessaries for the campaign, I went 
out, was soundly beaten, and lost them all ! — came in, 



CHARACTEE OF WASHINGTON. 243 

and had my commission taken from me, or in other 
words, my command reduced, under pretence of an order 
from home. I then v/ent out a vokmteer with General 
Braddock, and lost all my horses, and many other things. 
But this being a voluntary act, I ought not to have men- 
tioned it : nor should I have done it, were it not to show, 
that I have been upon the losing order ever since I en- 
tered the service, which is now nearly two years. So 
that I think I cannot be blamed, should I, if I leave my 
family again, endeavour to do it upon such terms, as to 
prevent my suffering ; to gain by it being the least of 
my expectations." 

In accepting the command of the American Army in 
June, 1775, he delivered the following address, in answer 
to one from the President of Congress, giving him 
official notice of his appointment. 

'• Mr. President, — Though I am truly sensible of the 
high honour done to me in this appointment, yet I feel 
great distress, from a consciousness that my abilities and 
military experience may not be equal to the extensive 
and important trust. However, as the Congress desire it, 
I will enter upon the momentous duty, and exert every 
power I possess in their service, and for the support of 
the glorious cause. I beg they will accept my most cor- 
dial thanks for this distinguished testimony of their ap- 
probation. 

•'But lest some unlucky event should happen, un- 
favourable to my reputation, I beg it may be remembered 
by every gentleman in the room, that I this day declare 
with the utmost sincerity, I do not think myself equalto 
the command I am honoured with. 

" As to paj/, sir, J beg leave to assure the Con- 



244 RELIG^ptS OPINIONS AND 

gress that, as no pecuniary consideration could 
have tempted me to accept this arduous employment j 
at the expense of my domestic ease aiid happiness, I 
do not wish to m^ake any profit from it. I loill keep 
an exact account of my expenses. Those, 1 doubt 
not, they will discharge ; and that is all 1 desire.''^ 

In reference to the generosity displayed in the above 
address, John Adams wrote to Mr. Gerry, a few days 
after the event : — 

" There is something charming to me in the conduct 
of Washingon. A gentleman of one of the first fortunes 
upon the continent, leaving his delicious retirement, his 
family and friends, sacrificing his ease, and hazarding 
all in the cause of his country ! His views are noble 
and disinterested. He declared, when he accepted the 
mighty trust that he would lay before us an exact ac- 
count of his expenses, and not accept a shilling for pay." 

In a letter, dated Valley Forge, 10th April, 1778, and 
written to the President of Congress, in reference to a 
previous suggestion concerning a better provision for the 
officers of the army, he says : 

" It may be said by some, sir, that my wish to see the 
officers of this army upon a more respectable establish- 
ment, is the cause of my solicitude, and carries me too 
far. To such I can declare, that my anxiety proceeds 
from the causes above-mentioned Person- 
ally, as an officer, I have no interest in the decision of 
Congress, because I have declared, and I now repeat it 
that I never Avill receive the smallest benefit from the 
half-pay establishment ; * but as a man who fights un- 

* Washington could plead for others, while he would receive nothing 
for himself. 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON, 



245 



der the weight of a proscription, and as a citizen who 
wishes to see the hberties of his country estabhshed upon 
a permanent foundation, and whose property depends 
upon the success of our arms, I am deeply interested." 

The following letter was written by him to Lund 
Washington, from West Point, 17th August, 1779. 

"Sir, 

" Sometime ago you applied to me to know, if you 

should receive payment of General M 's bonds, 

and of the bond due from the deceased Mr. M 's 

estate ; and you were, after animadverting a little upon 
the subject, authorized to do so. Of course, I presume 
the money has been received. I have since considered 
the matter in every point of view in which my judg- 
ment enables me to place it, and am resolved to receive 
no more old debts, (such I mean as were contracted 
and ought to have been paid before the war,) at' the pre- 
sent nominal value of the money, unless compelled to do 
it, or it is the practice of others to do it. Neither justice, 
reason, nor policy require it. The law undoubtedly was 
well designed. It was intended to stamp a value upon, 
and to give a free circulation to, the paper bills of credit ; 
but it never was nor could have been intended to make 
a man take a shiUing or six-pence in the pound, for a 
just debt, which his debtor is well able to pay, and there- 
by involve himself in ruin. I am wiUing now, as ever 
I was, to take paper money for every kind of debt, and 
at its present depreciated value, for those debts which 
have been contracted since the money became so ; but I 
will not, in future, receive the nominal sum for such old 
debts as come under the above description, except as be- 
fore specifijed. 

21* 



240 



RELIfli©US OPINIONS AND 



Af^ 



" The fear of injuring, by any example of mine, the 
credit of our paper currency, if I attempted to discrimi- 
nate between the real and the nominal value of paper 
money, has already sunk for me a large sum, if the 
bonds before mentioned are paid off; the advantage 
taken in doing which, no man of honour, or common 
honesty, can reconcile to his own feelings or conscience ; 
not as respects me do I mean, but transactions of this 
kind generally. The thing Avhich induces me to men- 
tion the matter to you at present is, the circumstance you 
have related respecting the wages of Roberts, which 
you say, according to his demands, w^ill amount to up- 
wards of two thousand pounds, and come to as much 
for the service of a common miller for one year only, as 

I shall get for six hundred acres of land sold to M 

in the best of times and in the most valuable part of 
Virginia, that ought to have been paid for before the 
money began to depreciate ; nay, years before the 
war. This is such a manifest abuse of reason and jus- 
tice, that no arguments can reconcile it to common sense 
or common honesty. Instead of appealing to me, who 
have not the means of information, or knowledge of 
common usage and practice in matters of this kind in 
the State, or the laws that govern there, I wish you 
would consult men of honour, honesty, and firm attach- 
ment to the cause, and govern yourself by their advice, 
or by their conduct. If it be customary with others to 
receive money in this way, that is, six-pence or one 
shilling in the pound for old debts ; if it is thought to be 
promotive of the great cause we embarked in for indivi- 
duals to do so, thereby ruining themselves, whilst others 
are reaping the benefit of such distress ; if the law impo^ 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 247 

ses this, and it is thought right to submit, I will not say- 
aught against it, nor oppose another word to it. No man 
has gone, and no man will go further to serve the pub- 
lic than myself. If sacrificing my whole estate would 
effect any valuable purpose, 1 would not hesitate one 
moment in doing it. But my submitting in matters of 
this kind, unless the same is done by others, is no more 
than a drop in the bucket. In fact, it is not serving the 
public, but enriching individuals, and countenancing 
dishonesty ; for sure I am, that no honest man would at- 
tempt to pay twenty shillings with one, or perhaps half 
of one. In a word, I had rather make a present of the 
bonds, than receive payment of them in so shameful a 
way. I am," &c. 

He wrote to the same, 30th April, 1781 : 
'• I am very sorry to hear of your loss. I am a little 
sorry to hear of my own ; but that which gives me most 
concern is, that you should go on board the energy's 
vessels, and furnish them with refreshments. It would 
have been a less painful circumstance to me to have 
heard, that in consequence of your non-compliance with 
their request, they had burnt my house and laid the 
plantation in ruins. You ought to have considered 
yourself as my representative, and should have reflected 
on the bad example of communicating with the enemy, 
and making a voluntary offer of refreshments to them 
with a view to prevent a conflagration. 

******** 

I have no doubt of the enemy's intention to prosecute 
the plundering plan they have begun ; and unless a stop 
can be put to it, by the arrival of a superior naval force, 
I have as little doubt of its ending \u the loss of all my 



248 RELl^XJS OPINIONS AND 

negroes, and in the destruction of my houses ; but I am 
prepared for the event ; under the prospect of whicli, if 
you could deposit in a place of safety the most valuable 
and least bulky articles, it might be consistent with 
policy and prudence, and a means of preserving them, 
hereafter. Such and so many things as are necessary 
for common and present use must be retained, and must 
run their chance through the fiery trial of this summer. 
I am sincerely yours." 

These various extracts need no comment. They all 
bespeak a mind, duly estimating the ordinary benefits 
and blessings of life, and yet able to forget their value, 
when duty required the sacrifice ; yea, rising superior to 
the love of them, in his higher regard for the interests 
and prosperity of his country. 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON 249 



CHAPTER XIII. 

HIS HUMANITY. 

That a portion of our race are distinguished by a 
humane and benevolent disposition, whilst others are 
utter strangers thereto, may be confidently affirmed. 
There is, indeed, in the most of men, a sympathy with 
their fellow-creatures in distress ; but it is often very in- 
active and inefficient, producing little or no valuable fruit 
in the life. It seldom goes beyond a sHght momentary 
excitement, Avhich soon dies away, leaving behind it no 
practical evidence of its purity or its power. In some 
minds, however, there is a higher and more excellent 
specimen of this virtue. In these it has a purer source. 
And it is therefore far more energetic in operation, and 
more noble in its achievements. Such persons are not 
contented with mere feeling^ they hold themselves 
bound by sacred obligations, to act^ and if necessary to 
suffer too, in behalf of their fellow-men. Their sensibility 
is not repressed by the chilUng calculationsof a selfish 
mind, or their generous purposes turned aside by sug- 
gestions of danger and detriment, attending too much 
activity, in benevolent undertakings. True love is never 
so easily discouraged. It is in its nature active and 



250 RELi#b 



us OPINIONS AND 



self-sacrificing — willing to encounter difficultieSj and pro- 
secute its designs of mercy, through frowning obstacles, 
amidst delays, reproaches, and even the ingratitude of 
its objects. Whilst an ordinary humanity thus distin- 
guishes some, and a purer flame of benevolence glows 
in the bosoms of others, there is a third class, of whom 
we are compelled to believe, that they know nothing 
whatever of this amiable affection. Were it convenient 
to name living examples of a hard and unfeeling heart, 
it would be but a painful and invidious task. We may, 
however, freely refer to individuals of by-gone ages, who 
owe their chief celebrity to a monstrous inhumanity of 
temper and barbarity of conduct ; among which must 
especially be numbered such men as Tiberius, Caligula, 
Nero, Danton, and Robespierre. These were doubtless 
perfect strangers to the faintest emotion of benevolent 
affection. The thought of kindness never visited their 
bosoms — the language thereof never fell from their lips, 
nor was a solitary page of their lives ever brightened 
by its deeds. They found pleasure only in working evil 
to their fellow-men — their dehght was in a rage for 
human blood. Instead of sympathizing in the suffer- 
ings of the wretched, the groans and cries of such were 
as grateful to their callous souls, as are the songs of the 
happy to the hearts of the humane. 

We claim for the father of our country a large share 
of the virtue in question. Of this the most pleasing evi- 
dence will be found in his writings— which furnish, in 
reference to the various traits of his finished character, 
a mirror of unsurpassed transparency and fidelity. 

In a skirmish with a small party of French troops, 
near the Great Meadows, in May, 1754, Washington 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 251 

took a number of prisoners, among whom were Monsieur 
La Force and Major Drouillon. Writing to Governour 
Dinwiddie, he mentions these gentlemen, and says: — 

"They beg to be recommended to your notice, and I 
have promised that they shall meet with all the favour due 
to prisoners of war. I have shown all the respect I could 
to them here, and have given them some necessary cloth- 
ing, by which I have disfurnished myself; for having 
brought no more than two or three shirts from Will's 
Creek, that we might be light, 1 was ill provided to 
supply them. I am," <fcc. 

About two years after this, he wrote to the same, under 
date of Winchester, 22d April, 1756 : — 

" This encloses several letters, and the minutes of a 
council of war, which was held upon the receipt of them. 
Your Honour may see to what unhappy straits the dis- 
tressed inhabitants and myself are reduced. I am too 
little acquainted, sir, with pathetic language to attempt a 
description of the people's distresses, though I have a gene- 
rous soul, sensible of wrongs, and sweUing for redress. 
But what can I do ? I see their situation, know their 
danger, and participate in their sufferings, without having 
it in my power to give them further relief, than uncertain 
promises. In short, I see inevitable destruction in so clear 
a hght, that, unless vigorous measures are taken by the 
Assembly, and speedy assistance -sent from below, the 
poor inhabitants that are now in forts, must unavoidably 
fall, while the remainder are flying before the barbarous 
foe. In fine, the melancholy situation of the people, 
the little prospect of assistance, the gross and scandalous 
abuse cast upon the officers in general, which is reflect- 
ing upon me in particular, for suffering misconduct of 



^5^ EELK^tJS OPINIONS AND 

such extraordinary kinds, and the distant prospect, if 
any, of gaining honour and reputation in the service, — 
cause me to lament the hour that gave me a commission, 
and would induce me, at any other time than this of 
imminent danger, to resign, vidthout one hesitating mo- 
ment, a command from which I never expect to reap 
either honour or benefit ; but, on the contrary, have almost 
an absolute certainty of incurring displeasure below, 
while the murder of helpless families may be laid to my 
account here ! 

" The supphcating tears of the women, and moving 
petitions of the men, melt me into such deadly sorrow? 
that I solemnly declare, if I know my own mind, I 
could offer myself a willing sacrifice to the butchering 
enemy, provided that would contribute to the people's 
ease." 

Two days after the above he wrote to the same : — 
" Not an hour, nay scarcely a minute, passes, that 
does not produce fresh alarms and melancholy accounts. 
Nor is it possible to give the people the necessary assist- 
ance for their defence, on account of the small number 
of men we have, or that are hkely to be here for some 
time. The inhabitants are removing daily, and in a 
short time will leave this country as desolate as Hamp- 
shire, where scarce a family lives. Three families 
were murdered the night before last, at the distance of 
less than twelve miles from this place ; and every day 
we have accounts of such cruelties and barbarities, as 
are shocking to human nature. It is not possible to con- 
ceive the situation and danger of this miserable country. 
Such numbers of French and Indians are all around, 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 253 

that no road is safe ; and here we know not the hour 
when we may be attacked. " 

Three days after he wrote to the same again. 

" The inhabitants, who are now in forts, are greatly 
distressed for the want of ammunition and provision, 
and are incessantly importuning me for both ; neitlier 
of which, have I at this place, [Winchester,] to spare. 
And if I had, I should be much embarrassed to know 
liow to act, as I could not be safe in delivering them 
without your orders ; but to hear the cries of the hungry, 
who have fled for refuge to these places, with nothing 
more than they carried on their backs, is .exceedingly 
moving. I hope, therefore, that you will give directions 
concerning this matter." 

In a letter to the same, dated Fort Loudoun, Win- 
chester, 2Tth August, 1757, we find the following ex- 
pression of his humane sensibilities. 

" As you were pleased to leave it to my discretion to 
punish or pardon the criminals, I have resolved on the 
latter, since I find example of so little weight, and since 
those poor unhappy criminals have undergone no small 
pain of body and mind, in a dark prison, closely 
ironed." 

To General Gage, of the British Army, he wrote, at 
the commencement of the Revolutionary war, under 
date of Cambridge, 11th of August, 1775 : 

" I understand that the officers engaged in the cause 
of liberty and their country, who, by the fortune of war, 
have fallen into your hands, have been thrown, indiscrim- 
inately, into a common jail appropriated for felons ; 
that no consideration has been had for those of the most 
lespectable rank, when languishing with wounds and 

22 



254 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS ANl) 

sickness ; and that some have even been amputated in 
this unworthy condition. 

''Let your opinion, sir, of the principle which actuates 
them be what it may, they suppose that they act from 
the noblest of all principles, a love of freedom and their 
country. But political principles, I conceive, are foreign 
to ihis point. The obligations arising from the rights of 
humanity and claims of rank, are universally binding and 
extensive, except in case of retahation. These, I should 
have hoped, would have dictated a more tender treat- 
ment of those individuals, whom chance, or war, had put 
in your power. Nor can I forbear suggesting its fatal 
tendency to widen that unhappy breach, which you, and 
those ministers under whom you act, have so repeatedly 
declared your wish is to see forever closed. 

" My duty now makes it necessary to apprize you, 
that, for the future, I shall regulate all my conduct to- 
wards those gentlemen, who are or may be in our posses- 
sion, exactly by the rule you shall observe towards those 
of ours now in your custody. 

" If severity and hardship mark the line of your con- 
duct, painful as it may be to me, your prisoners will feel 
its effects. But if kindness and humanity are shown to 
ours, I shall, with pleasure, consider those in our hands 
only as unfortunate ; and they shall receive from me that 
treatment to which the unfortunate are ever entitled." 

When Colonel Arnold was about to march against 
Quebec, General Washington gave him " Instructions," 
(before referred to,) for the regulation of his conduct in the 
management of that delicate and arduous enterprise. 
Among olher instructions we find the following : 

<' If Lord Chatham's son should be in Canada, and in 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 255 

any way should fall into your power, you are enjoined 
to treat him with all possible deference and respect. You 
cannot err in paying too much honour to the son of so 
illustrious a character, and so true a friend to America. 
Any other prisoners, who may fall into your hands, you 
will treat with as much humanity and kindness, as 
may be consistent with your own safety and the public 
interest. Be very particular in restraining, not only 
your own troops, but the Indians, from all acts of cruelty 
and insult, which will disgrace the American arms, and 
irritate our fellow-subjects against us." 

To the President of Congress, he wrote from Cam- 
bridge, 7th December, 1775 : 
' Sir, 

" I wrote to you the 4th instant, by express, to 
which I beg you will be referred. My fears that Brough- 
ton and Selman, would not effect any good purpose, 
were too well founded. They are returned, and brought 
with them three of the principal inhabitants from the 
island of St. John's, (in the gulf of St. Lawrence.) Mr. 
Callbeck, as President of the Council, acted as Govern- 
our. They brought the Governour's Commission and 
the Province Seal. As the captains (Broughton and 
Selman) acted without any warrant for such conduct, I 
have thought it but justice to discharge these gentlemen, 
whose families were left in the utmost distress." 

The Editor of Washington's Writings, has thefollow- 
ing note on the above letter : 

"^^ Broughton and Selman commanded the two armed 
vessels heretofore mentioned, that had been despatched 
by Washington, in compliance with an order of Con- 
gress, to intercept in the river St. Lawrence, two brigan- 



256 RELIG^S OPINIONS AND 

tines, which, it had been understood, were to sail from 
England to Quebec, laden with arms and ammunition, 
and without convoy. After a cruise of several days, the 
American captains discovered no such vessels ; but they 
committed a very unjustifiable act in making a descent 
on the island of St. John's, pillaging the defenceless inha- 
bitants, and bringing away some of them prisoners. 
The gentlemen thus brought off, among whom was Mr. 
Callbeck, presented a memorial to General Washington, 
in which they stated, that the Governours house and 
other private dwellings were broken open, and robbed of 
their plate, carpets, curtains, looking-glasses, table-linen, 
wearing-apparel, and whatever else w^as of value, and 
could be taken away. This was done by the captains, 
of course, without a shadov^ of license from their instruc- 
tions, though apparently ratlier through ignorance of the 
customary rules of warfare, than by any conscious viola- 
tion of the laws of equity and honour. Such conduct, 
however, could not fail to excite the indignation of the 
Commander-in-chief, and he released the captives im- 
mediately, treating them with all possible kindness and 
respect. Orders were given for restoring the goods, which 
had been pillaged, and from the following note, written 
by Mr. Callbeck. it may be presumed that he at least 
was satisfied.'' 

'• 1 should ill deserve the generous treatment, which 
your Excellency has been pleased to show me, had I not 
gratitude to acknowledge so great a favour. I cannot 
ascribe any part of it to my own merit, but must impute 
the whole to the philanthropy and humane disposi- 
tion that so truly characterize General Washington. 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 257 

Be so obliging, therefore, as to accept the only return in 
my power, that of my most grateful thanks. 

On the evacuation of Boston by the British army, in 
March, 1776, General Washington issued a proclama- 
tion, containing, among other injunctions to his troops, 
the following : 

" All officers and soldiers are hereby ordered to live in 
the strictest peace and amity with the inhabitants ; (of 
Boston,) and no inhabitant, or other person, employed in 
his lawful business in the town, is to be molested in his 
person or property, on any pretence whatever. 

"If any officer or soldier shall presume to strike, 
imprison, or otherwise ill-treat, any of the inhabitants, 
he may depend on being punished with the utmost se- 
verity ; and if any officer or soldier shall receive any 
insult from any of the inhabitants, he is to seek redress 
in a legal way, and no other." 

In the following August, he thus addressed from the 
city of New- York, the New- York Convention : 
" Gentlemen, 

" I am favoured with yours of the 23d, acquainting 
me with a report now circulating, ' that if the American 
army should be obliged to retreat from this city, any 
individual may set it on fire.' I can assure you, gentle- 
men, that this report is not founded upon the least au- 
thority from me ; on the contrary, I am so sensible of the 
value of such a city, and the consequences of its destruc- 
tion to many worthy citizens and their families, that 
nothing but the last necessity, and that, such as should 
justify me to the whole world, would induce me to give 
orders to that purpose. 



32* 



258 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

''As my views, with regard to tiie removal of the women 
and childern, have happily coincided with your senti- 
ments, and a committee has been appointed to carry 
them into execution, I submit it to your judgment? 
whether it would not be proper for the Committee to meet 
immediately in this city, and give notice of their attend- 
ance on this business. There are many who anxiously 
wish to remove, but have not the means." 

In January. 1777, he wrote to Lord Howe, the Brit- 
ish Commander, expostulating wath him on his treat- 
ment of American prisoners : 

'• I am sorry that I am under the disagreeable neces- 
sity of troubling your Lordship with a letter, almost 
wholly on the subject of the cruel treatment which 
our officers and men, in the naval department, who 
are unhappy enough to fall into your hands, receive 
on board the prison-ships in the harbour of New- York. 
* ** * * * * * 

"From the opinion I have ever been taught to 
entertain of your Lordship's humanity, I will not sup- 
pose that you are privy to proceedings of so cr^el 
and unjustifiable a nature; and I hope that, upon 
making the proper inquiry, you will have the matter 
so regulated, that the imhappy persons whose lot is 
captivity, may not in future, have the miseries of cold, 
disease, and famine, added to their other misfortunes. 
You may call us rebels, and say that we deserve no 
better treatment ; but remember, my Lord that, sup- 
posing us rebels, we still have feelings equally as keen 
and sensible as loyalists, and will, if forced to it, most 
assuredly retaliate upon those, upon whom we look as 
the unjust invaders of our rights, liberties, and pro- 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 259 

perties. I should not have said thus much, but my 
injured countrymen have long called upon me to en- 
deavour to obtain a redress of their grievances ; and I 
should think myself as culpable as those who inflict 
such severities upon them, were I to continue silent." 

Passing over other proofs, equally strong, of the sen- 
sibility with which the Commander-in-chief sympa- 
thized in the distresses of his friends, and even of his ene- 
mies, we come to the consideration of two occurrences 
of unusual interest, to which the Revolutionary War gave 
birth, and on which have been founded charges against 
his humanity, which some may still be disposed to regard 
as well supported. The allusion is to the cases of Major 
Andre and Captain Asgill, both distinguished in the 
British Army, for their high respectability and good 
conduct. 

In regard to the first of these individuals, his history 
is so interwoven with the memorable apostacy and ag- 
gravated treason of Benedict Arnold, that the same is 
familiar, in its material features at least, to the most of 
our countrymen. It is known that he was a Major by 
commission and Adjutant-General to the British Army — 
that he was a brave officer, and an accomplished man ; 
and that, aft^r an interview with Arnold, held within the 
American lines, in reference to the surrender of West 
Point, he was, on his return to New- York, taken pri- 
soner by three of our soldiers ; soon after which he was 
tried by a court-martial, condemned, and hung as 
a spy. 

The propriety of treating Major Andre as a spy, v/as 
warmly contested at the time, by his friends in the Brit- 



260 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AITD 

ish army. They maintained that he went under the 
protection of a flag, to meet General Arnold without the 
American hues ; and that his being within those lines 
was accidental, and against his inclination ; the persua- 
sion of Arnold having effected it. General Washington, 
therefore, was accused of injustice and cruelty, in signing 
the death-warrant of a man so respectable as Major 
Andre, and who was more unfortunate than guilty. 
Whatever impression these charges may have made in 
their day, upon the humane and sympathetic, whether 
in England or in this country, we doubt not, but that 
time and reflection have dissipated any unfavourable 
thoughts which may once have existed. A brief account 
of the circumstances will, notwithstanding, be given 
here, as supplied us by the most authentic documents, 
in order to evince, that no alternative was left, from the 
nature of the case, but the rigid exercise of justice. 

The following letter, announcing the perfidy of Ar- 
nold, and the capture of Major Andre, w^as written by 
Gen. Washington to the President of Congress. 

'•Robinson's House, September 26th, 1780. 

" Sir, 
. " I have the honour to inform Congress, that T arrived 
here yesterday, about twelve o'clock, on my return from 
Hartford. Some hours previous to my arrival, Major- 
General Arnold went from his quarters, which were at 
this place, as it was supposed over the river to the gar- 
rison at West Point ; whither I proceeded myself, in 
order to visit the post. I found General Arnold had not 
been there during the day. and on my return to his 
quarters he was still absent. In the mean time a packet 
had arrived from Lieutenant-Colonel Jameson, annouiic- 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 261 

ing the capture of a John Anderson, who was endeav- 
ouring- to go to New- York, with several interesting and 
important papers, all in the handwriting of General 
Arnold. This was also accompanied \nth a letter from 
the prisoner, avowing himself to be Major John Andre, 
Adjutant-General to the British army, relating the man- 
ner of his capture, and endeavouring to show that he 
did not come under the description of a spy. From the 
several circumstances, and information that the General 
seemed to be thrown into some degree of agitation on 
receiving a letter, a little time before he went down from 
his quarters, I was led vO conclude immediately, that he 
had heard of Major Andre's captivity, and that he would 
if possible escape to the enemy ; and I accordingly took 
such measures, as appeared the most probable to appre- 
hend him. But he had embarked in a barge, and pro- 
ceeded down the river under a flag to the Vulture sloop- 
of-war, which lay some miles below Stony and Ver- 
plank's Points. After he got on board he wrote to me 
a letter, of which the enclosed is a copy. 

" Major Andre is not arrived yet, but I hope he is 
secure, and that he will be here to-day. I have been 
and am taking proper precautions, which 1 trust will 
prove effectual, to prevent the important consequences, 
which this conduct, on the part of General Arnold, was 
intended to produce I do not know the party that 
took Major Andre, but it is said to have consisted 
only of militia, who acted in such a manner, as does 
them the highest honour, and proves them to be men of 
great virtue. They were offered, I am informed, a 
large sum of money for his release, and as many goods 
as they would demand, but without any effect," 



262 RELIGmUS OPINIONS AND 

Major Andre was taken prisoner, near Tarrytown,on 
the morning of the 23cl of September, and carried back 
to the nearest American post at North-Castle. On the 
24th he wrote the following letter to General Wash- 
ington : 

'' Sir, 

" What I have as yet said concerning myself, was in 
the justifiable attempt to be extricated ; I am too little 
accustomed to duplicity to have succeeded. 

•' I beg your Excellency will be persuaded, that no al- 
teration in the temper of my mind, or apprehension for 
my safety, induces me to take the step of addressing you, 
but that it is to rescue myself from an imputation of hav- 
ing assumed a mean character for treacherous purposes 
or self-interest ; a conduct incompatible with the prin- 
ciples that actuate me, as well as with my condition in 
life. 

'' It is to vindicate my fame that I speak, and not to 
solicit security. 

" The person in your possession is Major John Andre, 
Adjutant-General to the British army. 

" The influence of one Commander in the army of 
his adversary, is an advantage taken in war. A cor- 
respondence for this purpose 1 held ; as confidential, (in 
the present instance,) with his Excellency Sir Henry 
Clinton. 

" To favour it, I agreed to meet upon ground not 
within the posts of either army, a person who was to 
give me intelligence ; I came up in the Vulture man-of- 
war for this effect, and was fetched by a boat from the 
ship to the beach. Being there, I was told that the ap- 
proach of day would prevent my return, and that I must 



CJEtARAC'TER OF WASHINGTON. 



263 



be concealed until the next night. I was in my regi- 
mentals, and had fairly risked my person. 

Against my stipulation, my intention, and without my 
knowledge before hand, I was conducted within one of 
your posts. Your Excellency may conceive my sensa- 
tion on the occasion, and will imagine how much more 
must I have been affected by a refusal to reconduct me 
back the next night, as I had been brought. Thus be- 
come a prisoner, I had to concert my escape. I quitted 
my uniform, and was passed another way in the night, 
without the American posts, to neutral ground, and in- 
formed I was beyond all armed parties and left to press 
for New- York. I was taken at Tarrytown by some vo- 
lunteers. 

" Thus, as I have had the honour to relate, was I be- 
trayed (being Adjutant-General of the British army) into 
the vile condition of an enemy in disguise, within your 
posts. 

" Having avowed myself a British officer, I have no- 
thing to reveal but what relates to myself, which is true, 
on the honour of an officer and a gentleman. 

'• The request I have to make to your Excellency, and 
I am conscious 1 address myself well, is, that in any 
rigour policy may dictate, a decency of conduct towards 
me may mark, that though unfortunate I am branded 
with nothing dishonourable, as no motive could be mine 
but the service af my king, and as I was, involuntarily, 
an impostor. 

" Another request is, that I may be permitted to write 
an open letter to Sir Henry Clinton, aiid another to a 
friend for clothes and linen. 

" I take the liberty to mention the condition of som^ 



264 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

gentlemen at Charlestovvn, who, being either on parole, 
or under protection, were engaged in a conspiracy 
against us. Though their situation is not similar, they 
are objects who may be set in exchange for me, or are 
persons whom the treatment I receive might affect. 

" It is no less, sir, in a confidence of the generosity of 
your mind, than on account of your superior station, that 
1 have chosen to importune you with this letter. 1 have 
the honour to be, with great respect. Sir, your Excel- 
lency's most obedient humble servant. 

"John Andre, Adjutant-General.'' 

It was on the morning of the 25th of September, 
that Arnold became apprized of the capture of Andre. 
As soon as it was known to him, he left his house in 
great haste, entered a boat, and in a short time reached 
the Vulture man-of-v/ar in safety. From this vessel he 
wrote the following letter to Gen. Washington dated the 
same day. 

'' Sir, The heart which is conscious of its own recti- 
tude, cannot attempt to palliate a step, which the world 
may censure as wrong ; I have ever acted from a prin- 
ciple of love to my country, since the commencement of 
the present unhappy contest between Great Britain and 
the Colonies ; the same principle of love to my country 
actuates my present conduct, however it may appear in- 
consistent to the world, who very seldom judge right of 
any man's actions. ' 

" I have no favour to ask for myself. I have too often 
experienced the ingratitude of my country to attempt it ; 
but from ihe kiioion humanity of your Excellency ^ I 
am induced to ask your protection for Mrs. Arnold from 
every insult and injury that a mistaken vengeance of 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON". 265 

my country may expose her to. It ought to fall only on 
me : she is as good and as innocent as an angel, and is 
incapable of doing wrong. I beg she may be permitted 
to return to her friends in Philadelphia, or to come to 
me, as she may choose ; from your Excellency, I have 
no fears on her account, but she may suffer from the 
mistaken fury of the country. 

On the next day, the 26th, Andre was brought to 
West Point, under an escort of dragoons. He remained 
there till the 28th. In the mean time. General Wash- 
ington wrote to General Greene, who was at Tappan, 
the head-quarters of the army, under date of " Robin- 
son's House, 27th September, 1780: — 

" Dear sir, 

'' I have concluded to send to camp to-morrow, Major 
Andre of the British army, and Mr. Joshua H. Smith, 
who has had a great hand in carrying on the business 
between him and Ainold. They will be under an escort 
of horse, and I wish you to have separate houses in 
camp ready for their reception, in which they may be 
kept perfectly secure ; and also strong, trusty guards, 
trebly officered, that a part may be constantly in the 
room with them. They have not been permitted to be 
together, and must be still kept apart. I would \vish the 
room for Mr. Andre to be a decent one, and that he may 
be treated with civility ; but thaft he may be so guarded 
as to preclude a possibihty of his escaping, which he 
will certainly attempt to effect, if it shall seem practi- 
cable in the most distant degree. Smith must also be 
carefully secured, and not treated with asperity. I in- 
tend to return to-morrow morning, and hope to have the 

23 



266 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS ANI) 

pleasure of seeing you in the course of tlie day. Yotl 
may keep these several matters secret." 

On the 28th Major Andre was sent to Tappan, and on 
the next day, the 29th, he sent tlie following letter, by 
permission of General Washington, to Sir Henry Clinton. 
Its date was, '• Tappan, 29th September, 1780. 

" Sir, 

" Your Excellency is doubtless already apprised of the 
manner in which I was taken, and possibly of the serious 
light in which my conduct is considered, and the rigour- 
ous determination that is impending. 

" Under these circumstances, I have obtained General 
Washington's permission to send you this letter ; the ob- 
ject of which is, to remove from your breast any suspicion, 
that 1 could imagine I w^as bound by your Excellency's 
orders, to expose myself to what has happened. The 
events of coming within an enemy's posts, and of chang- 
ing my dress, which led me to my present situation, were 
contrary to my own intentions, as they were to your 
orders ; and the circuitous route, was imposed, (perhaps 
unavoidably,) without alternative upon me. 

" 1 am perfectly tranquil in mind, and prepared for 
any fate, to which an honest zeal for my King's service 
may have devoted me. 

" In addressing myself to your Excellency on this 
occasion, the force of all my obligations to you, and of 
the attachment and gratitude I bear you, recurs to me. 
With all the warmth of luy heart, I give you thanks for 
your Excellency's profuse kindness to me ; and I send 
you the most earnest wishes for your welfare, which a 
faithful, affectionate, and respectful attendant can frame. 

"I hav^ a mother and three sisters, to whom the 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 267 

value of my commission would be an object, as the loss 
of Grenada has much affected their income. It is need- 
less to be more explicit on this subject ; I am persuaded 
of your Excellency's goodness. 

" I receive the greatest attention from his Excellency 
General Washington, and from every person under 
whose charge I happen to be placed. I have the honour 
to be, with the most respectful attachment, your Excel- 
lency's most obedient humble servant, 

"John Andre, Adjutant-General." 

According to the intimation contained in his letter to 
General Greene, General Washington returned to Tap- 
pan on the 28th, and the next day addressed a letter 
to the Board of General Officers, appointed to investigate 
the charges against Major Andre. The Board was 
composed of Fourteen officers— General Greene being 
President of the Board. The letter of General Wash- 
ington was in the following words : — 

" Tappan, 29th Sept. 1780. 

" Gentlemen, 

'' Major Andre, Adjutant-General to the British army, 
will be brought before you for your examination. He 
came within our lines in the night, on an interview 
with Major- General Arnold, and in an assumed charac- 
ter, and was taken within our lines in a disguised habit, 
with a pass, under a feigned name, and with the enclosed 
papers concealed upon him. After a careful examina- 
tion, you will be pleased, as speedily as possible, to report 
a precise state of his case, together with your opinion of 
the light in which he ought to be considered, and the 
punishment that ought to be inflicted. The judge- 
^clvocate will attend to assist in the examination, who 



268 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

has sundry other papers relative to this matter, which he 
will lay before the Board. I have the honour to be, " (fee 

The Board assembled the same day, and Major 
Andre was brought before them. Besides his personal 
examination, he submitted a short statement of his case 
in writing. The Paper presented by him was to the 
following effect : — 

" On the 20th of September I left New- York to get on 
board the Vulture, in order, (as I thought) to meet Ge- 
neral Arnold there in the night. No boat, however, 
canie off, and I waited on board until the night of 
the 21st. During the day, a flag of truce was sent from 
the Vulture, to complain of the violation of a military 
rule in the instance of a boat having been decoyed on 
shore by a flag, and fired upon. The letter was address- 
ed to General Arnold, signed by Captain Sutherland, 
but written in my hand and countersigned 'J Anderson, 
secretary. ' Its intent was to indicate my presence on 
board the Vulture. In the night of the 21st, a boat 

with Mr. * and two hands came on board, in order 

to fetch Mr. Anderson on shore, and if too late to bring 
me back, to lodge me till the next night in a place of 
safety. I went into the boat, landed, and spoke with 
Arnold. I got on horseback with him to proceed to 
[Smith's] house, and in the way passed a guard I 
did not expect to see, having Sir Henry Clinton's 
directions not to go within an enemy's post, or to quit 
my own dress. 

" In the morning A. quitted me, having himself 
made me put the papers I bore between my stockings 

♦ Joshua H, Smith. 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 269 

and feet. Whilst he did it, he expressed a wish in case 
of any accident befalling me, that they should be destroy- 
ed, which I said of course would be the case, as when 
1 went into the boat I should have them tied about 
with a string and a stone. Before we parted, some 
mention had been made of my crossing the river, and 
going by another route ; but 1 objected much against 
it, and thought it was settled that in the way I came, 
I was also to return. 

Mr. * to my great mortification, persisted in his 

determination of carrying me by the other route ; and 
at the decline of the sun, I set out on horseback, 
passed King's Ferry, and came to Crompond, where a 
party of mihtia stopped us, and advised we should 
remain. In the morning I came with [Smith] as far 
as within two miles and a half of Pine's Bridge, where 
he said he must part with me, as the Cow-boys in- 
fested the road thenceforward. I was now near thirty 
miles from Kingsbridge, and left to the chance of pass- 
ing that space undiscovered. I got to the neighbourhood 
of Tarrytown, which was far beyond the points describ- 
ed as dangerous, when I was taken by three volun- 
teers, who not satisfied with my pass, rifled me, and, 
finding papers, made me a prisoner. 

•'I have omitted mentioning that, when I found 
myself within an enemy's posts, I changed my dress." 

Several papers were laid before the Board by the judge- 
advocate, and shown to Major Andre, who confessed that 
they w^ere found on him when he was taken, and said 
they were concealed in his boot, except the pass. These 
papers contained information concerning the state of 

* Joshua H. Smith. 

23* 



270 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

West Point, and were^dressed in Arnold's hand-writing 
to the Commander-in-chief of the Britisli army. 

The Board interrogated Major Andre abont his con- 
ception of his coming on shore under the sanction of a 
flag. He said, '• That it was impossible for him to sup- 
pose he came on shore under that sanction ;" and added, 
" That if he came on shore under that sanction, he 
certainly might have returned vmder it. " 

Major Andre having acknowledged the preceding 
factS; and being asked whether he had any thing to say 
respecting them, answered — "that he left them to ope- 
rate with the Board. " 

The examination being concluded, the prisoner was 
remanded into custody. 

On the same day the Board made the following Re- 
port to General Washington : — 

'- The Board having considered the letter from his 
Excellency General Washington, respecting Major An- 
dre, Adjutant-General to theBritish army— the confession 
of Major Andre, and the papers produced to them, Re- 
port to his Excellency, the Commander-in-Chief, the 
following facts, which appear to them relative to Major 
Andre. 

" First, That he came on shore from the Ynlture sloop 
of war in the night of the 21st of September instant, on 
an interview with General Arnold, in a private and 
secret manner. 

"Secondly, That he changed his dress within our 
lines ; and under a feigned name, and in a disguised 
habit, passed our w^orks at Stoney and Verplank's Points, 
the evening of the 22d September instant, and was taken 
the morning of the 23d of Sept. instant, at Tarrytown, 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 271 

in a disguised habit, being then on his way to New- York: 
and when taken, he had in his possession several pa- 
pers, which contained inteUigence for the enemy. 

" The Board having maturely considered these facts, 
do also Report to his Excellency General Washington, 
that Major Andre, Adjutant-General to the British army, 
ought to be considered as a spy from the enemy, and 
that, agreeably to the law and usage of nations, it is 
their opinion, he ought to suffer death. " 

This Report was signed by the whole Board, of which, 
as we have mentioned, General Greene was President, 
the Marquis de La Fayette and the Baron de Steuben, 
members. 

The decision, approved as it was by the Commander- 
in-chief, was to have been put in execution on the 1st 
day of October. But the British Commander wishing 
to have a conference with him, in regard to the justice 
and propriety of the sentence, the event was postponed 
until the 2d day of October. On that day, at 12 o'clock, 
the conference having failed to produce any change in 
the mind of General Washington, the determination of 
the court was carried into effect. 

On the day first appointed for his execution. Major 
Andre wrote the following letter to Gen. Washington : — 

'' Sir ; Buoyed above the terror of death, by the con- 
sciousness of a life devoted to honourable pursuits, and 
stained with no action that can give me remorse, I trust 
that the request I make to your Excellency, at this seri- 
ous period, and which is to soften my last moments, 
will not be rejected. 

<' Sympathy towards a soldier will surely induce 



2T'2 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

your excellency, anc^ military tribunal, to adapt the 
mode of my death to the feelings of a man of honour. 

'• Let me hope, sir, that if aught in my character im- 
presses you with esteem towards me, if aught in my mis- 
fortunes marks me as the victim of policy, and not of re- 
sentment, I shall experience the operation of these feel- 
ings in your breast, by being informed that I am not to 
die on a gibbet. I have the honour to be," &c. 

This request was duly considered by the Commander- 
in chief and his principal officers ; but, taking into view 
the nature of the offence, the peculiar circumstances at- 
tending it, the invariable rules of war, and the usage of 
nations, Washington could not consistently with his 
sense of duty, grant an indulgence, which might seem to 
imply any doubt in his mind of the entire justice of the 
sentence, however strongly he might be moved by his well 
known feelings of humanity, and his respect for the char- 
acter of the sufferer. Andre was condemned as a spy, 
and hanged as such, at twelve o'clock on the 2d of Oc- 
tober. 

The following narrative from the elegant pen of Gene- 
ral Hamilton, is here inserted, as giving the fullest and 
most faithful account of this whole matter, which has 
ever been submitted to the public. Ii was written short- 
ly after the events so feelingly recorded by him. He was 
at this time aid-de-camp to General Washington. 

" Since my return from Hartford, my dear friend, my 
mind has been too little at ease to permit me to write to 
you sooner. It has been wholly occupied by the inci- 
dents, and the tragic consequences, of Arnold's treason. 
My feehngs never were put to so severe a trial. You 
will no doubt have heard the principal facts, before thig 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 273 

reaches you ; but there are particulars, to which my 
situation gave me access, that cannot have come to your 
knowledge from public report, which I am persuaded you 
will find interesting. 

" From several circumstances, the project seems to 
have originated with Arnold himself, and to have 
been long premeditated. The first overture is traced 
ed back to some time in June last. It was conveyed in 
a letter to Colonel Robinson, the substance of which was, 
that the ingratitude he had experienced from his country, 
concurriiig with other causes, had entirely changed his 
principles : that he now only sought to restore himself to 
the favour of his King, by some signal proof of his re- 
pentance ; and would be happy to open a correspond- 
ence with Sir Heniy Clinton for that purpose. About 
this period he made a journey to Connecticut ; on his 
return from which to Philadelphia, he solicited the com- 
mand of West Point, alleging that the effects of his 
wound had disqualified him for the active duties of the 
field. The sacrifice of this important post was the atone- 
ment he intended to make. General Washington hesi- 
tated the less to gratify an officer who had rendered 
such eminent services, as he was convinced the post 
might be safely trusted to one who had given so many 
distinguished proofs of his bravery. In the beginning 
of August, he joined the army, and renewed his applica- 
tion. The enemy, at this juncture, had embarked the 
greatest part of their force on an expedition to Rhode 
Island, and our army was in motion, to compel them to 
reUnquish the enterprise, or to attack New- York in its 
weakened state. The General offered Arnold the left 
wing of the army, which he declined, on the pretext 
already mentioned ; but not without visible embarrass- 



274 EELIG^US OPINIONS AND 

ment. He certainly might have executed the duties of 
such a temporary command, and it was expected from 
his enterprising temper that he would gladly have em- 
braced so splendid an opportunity. But he did not 
choose to be diverted a moment from his favourite object; 
probably from an apprehension that some different dis- 
position might have taken place, which would have ex- 
cluded liim. The extreme solicitude he discovered to 
get possession of the post, would have led to a suspicion 
of the treachery, had it been possible from his past con- 
duct to have supposed him capable of it. 

''The correspondence thus begun, was carried on be- 
tween Arnold and Major Andre, Adjutant-General of the 
British army, in behalf of Sir Henry CHnton, under feign- 
ed signatures, and a mercantile disguise. In an inter- 
cepted letter of Arnold's, which lately fell into our hands, 
he proposes an interview, ' to settle the risks and profits of 
the co-partnership ;' and in the same style of metaphor, 
intimates an expected augmentation of the garrison, and 
speaks of it as the means of extending their traffic. It 
appears by another letter, that Andre was to have met 
him on the lines, under the sanction of a flag, in the 
character of Mr. John Anderson. But some cause or 
other, not known, prevented this interview. 

" The twentieth of last month, Robinson and Andre 
went up the river in the Vulture sloop of war. Robinson 
sent a flag to Arnold, with two letters, one to General 
Putnam, enclosed in another to himself, requesting an 
interview with Putnam, or in his absence with Arnold, 
to adjust some private concerns. The one to General 
Putnam was evidently meant as a cover to the other, 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 2^6 

in case, by accident, the letters should have fallen under 
the inspection of a third person. 

^' General Washington crossed the river on his way to 
Hartford, the day these despatches arrived. Arnold, 
conceiving he must have heard of the flag, thought it 
necessary, for the sake of appearances, to submit the let- 
ters to him, and ask his opinion of the propriety of com- 
plying with the request. The General, with his usual 
caution, though without the least surmise of the design, 
dissuaded him from it, and advised him to reply to Ro- 
binson, that whatever related to his private affairs must 
be of a civil nature, and could only properly be addressed 
to the civil authority. This reference fortunately de- 
ranged the plan, and was the first link in the chain of 
events that led to the detection. The interview could 
no longer take place in the form of a flag, but was 
obliged to be managed in a secret manner. 

"Arnold employed one Smith to go on board the 
Vulture the night of the twenty-second, to bring Andre 
on shore with a pass for Mr. John Anderson. Andre 
came ashore accordingly, and was conducted within a 
picket of ours to the house of Smith, where Arnold and 
he remained together in close conference all that night 
and the day following. At day-light in the morning, 
the commanding officer it King's Ferry, without the pri- 
vity of Arnold, moved a couple of pieces of cannon to a 
point opposite to where the Vulture lay, and obliged her 
to take a more remote station. This event, or some 
lurking distrust, made the boatmen refuse to carry the 
two passengers back, and disconcerted Arnold so much, 
that by one of those strokes of infatuation which often 
confound the schemes of men conscious of guilt, he in- 



276 RELIG^US OPINIONS AND 

sisted on Andre's exchangino^ his uniform for a disguise, 
and returning in a mode different from that in which he 
came. Andre, who had been undesignedly brougiit 
within our posts, in'the first instance, remonstrated warm- 
ly against this new and dangerous expedient. But 
Arnold persisting in declaring it impossible for him to 
return as he came, he at length reluctantly yielded to 
his direction, and consented to change his dress, and 
take the route he recommended. Smith furnished the 
disguise, and in the evening passed King's Ferry with 
him, and proceeded to Crompond, where they stopped the 
remainder of the night, (at the instance of a militia offi- 
cer,) to avoid being suspected by him. The next morn- 
ing they resumed their journey, Smith accompanying 
Andre a litde beyond Pine's Bridge, where he left him. 
He had reached Tarrytown, when he was taken up by 
three militia men, who rushed out of the woods and 
seized his horse. At this critical moment, his presence 
of mind forsook him. Instead of producing his pass, 
which would have extricated him from our parties, and 
could have done him no harm with his own, he asked 
the militia men if they were of the upper or lower party, 
distinctive appellations known among the refugee corps. 
The militiamen replied, they were of the lower party; 
upon which he told them he was a British officer, and 
pressed them not to detain him as he was upon urging ' 
business. This confession removed all doubt, and it was 
in vain he afterwards produced his pass. He was in- 
stantly forced off to a place of greater security ; where, 
after a careful search, there were found concealed in the 
feet of his stockings, several papers of importance, de- 
livered to him by Arnold. Among these there were a 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 277 

plan of the fortifications of West Point, a memorial from 
the engineer on the attack and defence of the place, re- 
turnsof the garrison, cannon, and stores, and a copy of the 
minutes of a council of war held by General Washington 
a few weeks before. The prisoner at first was inadvert- 
ently ordered to Arnold ; but on recollection, while still 
on the way, he was countermanded and sent to Old 
Salem. 

" The papers were enclosed in a letter to General 
Washington, which having taken a route different from 
that by which he returned, made a circuit, that afforded 
leisure for another letter, through an ill-judged delicacy 
written to Arnold, with information of Anderson's cap 
ture, to get to him an hour before General Washington 
arrived at his quarters ; time enough to elude the fate 
that awaited him. He went down the river in his barge 
to the Vulture, with such precipitate confusion, that he 
did not take with him a single paper useful to the enem}^ 
On the first notice of the affair he v/as pursued, but much 
too late to be overtaken. 

'' There was some colour for imagining it was a part 
of the plan, to betray the General into the hands of the 
enemy : Arnold was very anxious to ascertain from him 
the precise day of his return, and the enemy's move- 
ments seem to have corresponded to this point. But 
if it w^as really the case, it v/as /very injudicious. The 
success must have depended on surprise ; and as the 
officers at the ad\ranced posts were not in the secret, 
their measures might have given the alarm, and Gen- 
eral Washington taking the command of the post, might 
have rendered the whole scheme abortive. Arnold, it is 
true, had so dispersed the garrison as to have made a 

24 



278 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

defence difficult, but not impracticable ; and the acqui- 
sition of West Point was of such magnitude to the 
enemy, that it would have been unwise to connect 
with it any other object, however great, which might 
make the obtaining of it precarious. 

''Arnold, a moment before his setting out, went into 
Mrs. Arnold^s apartment, and informed her that some 
transactions had just come to light which must forever 
banish him from his country. She fell into a swoon at 
this declaration, and he left her in it to consult his own 
safety, till the servants, alarmed by her cries, came to 
her relief. She remained frantic all day, accusing every 
one who approached her with an intention to murder her 
child, (an infant in her arms,) and exhibiting every other 
mark of the most genuine and agonizing distress. Ex- 
hausted by the fatigue and tumult of her spirits, her 
phrenzy subsided towards evening, and she sunk into 
all the sadness of afHiction. It was impossible not to 
have been touched with her situation ; every thing 
affecting in female tears, or in the misfortunes of beauty, 
every thing pathetic in the wounded tenderness of a 
wife, or in the apprehensive fondness of a mother, and, 
till I have reason to change the opinion, I will add, 
every thing amiable in suffering innocence, conspired to 
make her an object of sympathy to all who were present. 
She experienced the most delicate attentions, and every 
friendly office till her departure for Philadelphia. 

" Andre was, without loss of time, conducted to the 
head-quarters of the army, where he was immediately 
brought before a Board of General Officers, to prevent all 
possibility of misrepresentation or cavil on the part of 
the enemy. 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON 



279 



" The Board reported, that he ought to be considered 
as a spy, and accordmg to the laws and usages of 
nations, to suffer death, which was executed two days 
after.* 

"Never, perhaps, did any man suffer death with 
more justice, or deserve it less. The first step he took 
after his capture, was to write a letter to General Wash- 
ington, conceived in terms of dignity without msolence, 
and apology without meanness. The scope of it was to 
vindicate himself from the imputation of having assumed 
a mean character, for treacherous or interested purposes , 
asserting that he had been involuntarily an impostor; 
that contrary to his intention, which was to meet a 
person for intelligence on neutral ground, he had been 
betrayed within our posts, and forced into the vile con- 
dition of an enemy in disguise; soliciting only, that to 
whatever rigour policy might devote him, a decency ot 
treatment might be observed, due to a person who, though 
unfortunate, had been guilty of nothing dishonourable. 
His request was granted in its fidl extent ; for in the 
whole progress of the affaii', he was treated with the 
most scrupulous delicacy. When brought before the 
Board of Olficers, he met with every mark of mdulgence, 
and was required to answer no interrogatory which 
would even embarrass his feelings. On his part, while 
he carefuUy concealed every thing that might implicate 
others, he frankly confessed all the facts relating to him- 
self; and upon his confession, without the trouble ot 
examining a witness, the Board made their report. The 
members were not more impressed with the candour and 

* He was executed on the thud day. '^^^ -"'-^,^7? ^"^^X' 
0. the 29Lh of September, .nJ put in execuuoa oa the 2d of October. 



2S0 BELIGIOUS OriNIONS AND 

firmness, mixed with a becoming sensibility which he 
displayed, tiian he was penetrated witli their hberaUty 
and pohteness. He acknowledged the generosity of 
the behaviour towards him in every respect, but par- 
ticularly in this, in the strongest terms of manly grati- 
tude. In a conversation with a gentleman Vv^ho visited 
liim after his trial, he said, he flattered himself he had 
never been illiberal ; but if there were any remains of 
prejudice in his mind, his present experience must obli- 
terate them. 

'• In one of the visits I made him, (and I saw him 
several times during his confinement,) he begged me to 
be the bearer of a request to the General, for permission 
to send an open letter to Sir Henry Clinton. ' I foresee 
my fate,' said he, ' and though I pretend not to play the 
hero, or to be indifferent about life, yet I am reconciled 
to what may happen, conscious that misfortune, not 
guilt, has brought it upon me. There is only one thing 
that disturbs my tranquillity. Sir Henry Clinton has 
been too good to me ; he has been lavish of his kindness ; 
I am bound to him by too many obligations, and love 
him too well to bear the thought that he should reproach 
himself, or others should reproach him, on the supposi- 
tion of my having conceived myself obliged, by his in- 
structions, to run the risk 1 did. I would not, for the 
world, leave a sting in his mind that should embitter his 
future days.' He could scarce finish the sentence ; 
bursting into tears, in spite of his efforts to suppress them, 
and with difficulty collected himself enough afterwards 
to add, ' I wish to be permitted to assure him, I did not 
act under this impression, but submitted to a necessity 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 281 

imposed upon me, as contrary to my own inclination, as 
to his orders.' His request was readily complied with, 
and he wrote the letter annexed, with which I dare say 
you will be as much pleased as I am, both for the senti- 
ment and diction. 

" When his sentence was announced to him, he re- 
marked, that since it was his lot to die, there was still a 
choice in the mode, which would make a material differ- 
ence to his feelings ; and he would be happy, if possible, 
to be indulged with a professional death. He made a 
second application by letter, in concise but persuasive 
terms. It was thought this indulgence, being incompati- 
ble with the customs of war, could not be granted ; and 
it was, therefore, determined, in both cases, to evade an 
answer, to spare him the sensations, which a certain 
knowledge of the intended mode would inflict. 

" In going to the place of execution, he bowed fami- 
liarly as he went along, to all those with whom he had 
been acquainted in his confinement. A smile of com- 
placency expressed the serene fortitude of his soul. Ar- 
rived at the fatal spot, he asked with some emotion, 
^ Must I then die in this manner ? ' He was told it had 
been unavoidable. ' I am reconciled to my fate, (said 
he.) but not to the mode.' Soon, however recollecting 
himself, he added, ' It will be but a momentary pang ;' 
and springing upon the cart, performed the last offices to 
himself, with a composure that excited the admiration 
and melted the hearts of the beholders. Upon being told 
the final moment was at hand, and asked if he had any 
thing to say, he answered, ' Nothing, but to request you 
will witness to the world, that I die like a brave man.' 
Among the extraordinary circumstances that attended 

24* 



283 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

him, in the midst of his enemies he died universally re- 
gretted, and universally esteemed. 

" There was something singularly interesting in the 
character and fortunes of Andre. To an excellent under- 
standing well improved by education and travel, he united 
a peculiar elegance of mind and manners, and the advan- 
tage of a pleasing person. It is said, he possessed a pretty 
taste for the fine arts, and had himself attained some 
proficiency in poetry, music, and painting. His know- 
bdge appeared without ostentation, and embellished by 
a diffidence that rarely accompanies so many talents and 
accomplishments, Avhich left you to suppose more than 
appeared. 

" His sentiments were elevated, and inspired esteem ; 
they had a softness that conciliated affection. His elo- 
cution was handsome ; his address easy, polite, and in- 
sinuating. By his merit, he had acquired the unlimited 
confidence of his General, and was making a rapid pro- 
gress in military rank and reputation. But in the height 
of his career, flushed with new hopes from the execu- 
tion of a project the most beneficial to his party that 
could be devised, he was at once precipitated from the 
summit of prosperity, and saw all the expectations of 
his ambition blasted, and himself ruined. 

" The character I have given of him, is drawn partly 
from what I saw of him myself, and partly from inform- 
ation. I am aware, that a man of real merit is never 
seen in so favourable a light as through the medium of 
adversity. The clouds that surround him are shades 
that set off his good qualities. Misfortune cuts down the 
httle vanities, that in prosperous times serve as so many 
spots in his virtues, and gives a tone of humility that 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. '283 

makes his worth more amiable. His spectators, who en- 
joy a happier lot, are less prone to detract from it through 
envy : and are more disposed by compassion to give him 
the credit he deserves, and perhaps even to magnify it. 

" I speak not of Andre's conduct in this affair as a 
philosopher, but as a man of the world. The author- 
ized maxims and practices of war, are the satires of 
human nature. They countenance almost every species 
of seduction, as well as violence; and the General who 
can make most traitors in the army of his adversary, is 
frequently most applauded. On this scale we acquit 
Andre, while we would not but condemn him if we were 
to examine his conduct by the sober rules of philosophy 
and moral rectitude. It is, however, a blemish on his 
fame, that he once intended to prostitude a flag ; — about 
this, a man of nice honour ought to have had a scruple ; 
but the temptation was great. Let his misfortunes cast 
a veil over his error. 

" Several letters from Sir Henry Clinton, and others, 
were received in the course of the affair, feebly attempting 
to prove that Andre came out under the protection of a 
flag, with a passport from a general-ofl[icer in actual ser- 
vice ; and, consequently, could not be justly detained. 
Clinton sent a deputation, composed of Lieutenant-Ge- 
neral Robinson, Mr. Elliot, and Mr. William Smith, to 
represent, as he said, the true state of Major Andre's case. 
General Greene met Robinson, and had a conversation 
with him, in v.diich he reiterated the pretence of a flag, 
urged Andre's release as a personal favour to Sir Henry 
Clinton, and offered any friend of ours in their power in 
exchange. Nothing could have been more frivolous than 
the plea which was used. The fact w^as, that besides 



284 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

the time, mariner, object of the interview, change of 
dress, and otiier circumstances, there was not a single for- 
inaHty customary witli flags ; and the passport was not 
to Major Andre but to Mr. Anderson. But had there 
been, on the contrary, all the formalities, it would be 
an abuse of language to say, that the sanction of a flag, 
for currupting an officer to betray his trust, ought to be 
respected. So unjustifiable a purpose would not only 
destroy its validity, but make it an aggravation. 

" Andre himself has answered the argument, by ri- 
diculing and exploding the idea, in his examination be- 
fore the Board of Officers. It was a weakness to urge it. 

'•' There was, in truth, no way of saving him. Arnold 
or he must have been the victim ; the former was out 
of our power. 

" It was by some suspected, Arnold had taken his 
measures in such a manner, that if the interview had 
been discovered in the act, it might have been in his 
power to sacrifice Andre to his own security. This sur- 
mise of double treachery, made them imagine Clinton 
would give up Arnold for Andre ; and a gentleman took 
occasion to suggest the expedient to the latter, as a thing 
that might be proposed by him. He declined it. The 
moment he had been capable of so much frailty, I should 
have ceased to esteem him." 

Extracts from a few of the letters written by Wash- 
ington, in reference to this event, will be here added, as 
in some measure evincing his views and feehngs on the 
subject. 

He wrote to Count De Rochambeau 10th October, 
1780: 

" Your Excellency will have heard of the execution 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. ^85 

of the British Adjutant-General. Tlie circumstances, 
under which he was taken, justified it, and poHcy required 
a sacrifice ; hut as he was more unfortunate than crim- 
mal, and; as there was much in his character to interest, 
while we yielded to the necessity of rigour, we could not 
hut lament it." 

''Writing to Col. John Laurens, October 13th, he 
says : — 

'• In no instance since the commencement of the war. 
has the interposition of Providence appeared more re- 
markably conspicuous, than in the rescue of the post and 
garrison of West Point, from Arnold's villanous perfidy. 
How far he meant to involve me in the catastrophe of 
this place, does not appear from any indubitable evi- 
dence ; and I am rather inclined to think he did not 
v/ish to hazard the more important object of his treach- 
ery, by attempting to combine two events, the less of 
which might have marred the greater. A combination 
of extraordinary circumstances, an unaccountable de- 
privation of presente of mind in a man of the first abi- 
lities, and the virtue of three militia men, threw the Ad- 
jutant-General of the British forces, with full proof of 
Arnold's treachery, into our hands. But for the egre- 
gious folly, or the bewildered conception of Lieutenant- 
Colonel who seemed lost in astonishment, and not to 

know what he was doing, I should undoubtedly have 
got Arnold. Andre has met his fate, and with that for- 
titude which was to be expected from an accomplished 
man and gallant oflficer, but I am mistaken if, at this 
time, 'Arnold is not undergoing the torment of a mental 
hell.' He wants feeling," &c. 



28G RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

In a letter to President Reed, written on the 18th of 
October, he says : — 

" Arnold's conduct is so villanously perfidious, that there 
are no terras which can describe the baseness of his heart. 
That overruling Providence, which has so often and so 
remarkably interposed in our favour, never manifested 
itself more conspicuously than in the timely discovery of 
his horrid design of surrendering the post and garrison 
of West Point, into the hands of the enemy. I confine 
my remarks to this single act of perfidy, for I am far 
from thinking he intended to hazard a defeat of this im- 
portant object, by combining another with it, although 
there were circumstances which led to a contrary belief. 
The confidence and folly which have marked the sub- 
sequent conduct of this man, are of a piece with his 
villany ; and all three are perfect in their kind. The in- 
terest you take in my supposed escape, and the manner 
in which you speak of it, claim my thanks as much as 
if he had really intended to involve my fate with that 
of the garrison, and I consider it a fresh instance of your 
aflfectionate regard for me." 

Such were the circumstances of this most distressing 
case. In them we have the grounds of Major Andre's 
condemnation, and the means of forming a judgment" 
in relation to the propriety of his execution. Major An- 
dre, was, in the first place, cordially engaged with the 
rest of his countrymen, in the inhuman undertaking, 
of enslaving the people of these 'United States. And at 
this time, he was zealously labouring to effect an object, 
which would have been most serious in its results to the 
American cause, and in its accomplishment involved the 
necessity of concealment, faj^ehoodj and treachery, in 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 287 

those, through whom it should be effected. He was ap- 
prehended under circumstances that rendered him. justly 
Hable to death, according to the laws and usages of all 
nations. He did not indeed intend to place himself in 
that situation. This precaution, reflects credit on his 
prudence, but does not diminish the criminality of his 
conduct. He did well in meditating his self-preservation. 
He ought, upon the principles of sound morality, to have 
been as careful not to injure others. Did he think him- 
self engaged in a just war? Then he differed with 
some of the wisest and best men of his own country. 
No ! personal advantage, honour and glory were before 
him, and it was the inordinate pursuit of these that 
blinded his judgment, and at length brought him into the 
snare which a wonder-working Providence spread for 
him, and in which he was finally taken. 

There cannot be a doubt but that the motives of hu- 
manity strongly plead for him. But there are critical 
times in the affairs of nations, as of individuals, when 
it is necessary to have a regard to private interests, when 
there is no sacrifice of principle. In the case under con- 
sideration there were great national interests at stake. 
It was necessary that a crime so monstrous should receive 
a decisive proof of public detestation, and be so visited by 
a severe penalty that similar offences might be prevented 
by the checks of a salutary terror. Indulgence would 
have been a kindness to the individual. But it might 
have been a dreadful unkindness to multitudes. The 
general welfare might have been sacrificed to private 
good. 

The complaints of British writers against the hu- 
manity of Washington, founded on this act of rigid 



288 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

justice, cannot be sustained. Tiie merits of Andre's case 
were fairly canvassed by a Board of fourteen General 
Officers, wiio were unanimous in pronouncing him a 
spy, and worthy of death. General Washin^jton merely 
confirmed their sentence, and is no more liable to censure; 
than the Judge who acquiesces in the decision of a Jury, 
and pronounces sentence of death on a criminal, in con- 
formity with their verdict. Could he, indeed, have dis- 
creetly incurred the responsibility of acting in opposition 
to the judgmentof so intelligent and respectable a body 
of men as those composing the board J Could he have 
indulged his benevolent sympathies in behalf of the 
prisoner, when the dictates of justice and the interests of 
his country called on him to take the side of a painful 
but necessary rigor ? We dismiss this subject with the 
single remark, that severity may sometimes be a virtue, 
as contributing in its effects to the good of the whole. 
On that principle the Divine Being often acts, confess- 
edly swayed by a perfect benevolence in so doing. 

Captain Asgill, whose case we have next to con- 
sider, was a young British officer, who had been taken 
prisoner at York-Town, and sent to York, in Pennsyl- 
vania, with others of Lord Cornwallis' troops. He was 
the only son of Sir Charles Asgill, and a highly amiable 
youth. In consequence of a horrid murder of an Ameri- 
can officer, General Washington, with the advice of 
his general officers, had resolved on retaliation. And 
the lot fell upon this young man. As it was known to 
be the unchangeable purpose of the Commander-in-chief 
to carry this decision into execution, he was cliarged 
with cruelty by British writers, and that in terms of 
litter severity. One of them, remarking on the letter of 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 289 

Washington to Sir Guy Carleton, in which he repeats 
his firm determination to retaliate in the case of Captain 
Asgili, says, that it is ''stern and even savage." There 
were other reflections cast upon his conduct, more courtly 
indeed than those alluded to, but clearly impeaching his 
humanity. The following letters, mainly from his own 
pen, will fully explain the origin and nature of the case, 
with the motives which controlled and directed his 
course throughout. 

On the 19th of April, 1782, he wrote from head- 
quarters, at Newburgh, to the General and Field Officers 
of the Army, in the following terms : — 

" The Commander-in-chief submits the papers accom- 
panying this, containing the case of Captain Joshua 
Huddy, lately hanged within the county of Monmouth, 
in New- Jersey State, by a party of the enemy, to the 
consideration of the general officers of brigades and 
regiments, and thereupon requests of them, separately 
and in writing, a direct and laconic reply to the follow- 
ing queries. 

'"1. Upon the state of facts in the above case, is reta- 
liation justifiable and expedient ? 

" ' 2. If justifiable, ought it to take place immediately, 
or should a previous representation be made to Sir 
Henry Chnton, and satisfaction be demanded from him 7 

" ' 3. In case of representation and demand, who should 
be the person or persons to be required ? 

" ' 4. In case of refusal, and retaliation becoming ne- 
cessary, of what description shall the officer be on whom 
it is to take place ; and how shall he be designated for 
the purpose ? ' " 

" Twenty-five officers sent answers to the above que 

25 



290 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

ries in writing. They were unanimous in the opinion, 
that retaUation was justifiable and expedient; that the 
leader of the party, [Captain Lippencot,] who murdered 
Captain Huddy, was the person who ought to suffer ; 
and that, in case he could not be obtained, an officer 
equal in rank to Captain Huddy should be selected by 
lot from the British prisoners. Twenty-two of the Ame- 
rican officers agreed in the decision, that a representation 
should first be made to Sir Henry Clinton, and satisfaction 
demanded ; the other three thought, that the laws of 
war, and the enormity of the offence justified, an im- 
mediate execution without previous notice to the British 
commander." * 

On the 20th of April the following letter was address- 
ed by him to General Knox, and Gouvernour Morris, 
then of Elizabethtown, N. J. and acting as commis- 
sioners for the transaction of certain matters of reciprocal 
advantage to the two armies : 

" Gentlemen, 

'' I have been favoured with your letter of the 16th 
of April, by General Forman. Convinced from the 
state of facts which have been exhibited to me, that 
justice, expediency, and necessity, require that satis- 
faction should be obtained for the murder of Cap- 
tain Huddy, I have in the first instance, made a 
representation to Sir Henry Chnton, and demanded 
that the officer who commanded the party, or, if he 
was not a captain, such a number of agents in the exe- 
cution as are equal by tariff to that rank, should be 
dehvered up to condign punishment. In case of refusal 

* iNote by the Editor of Washington's "Writings; 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 291 

I have formed the resolution, that retahation shall take 
place upon a British officer of equal rank. It therefore 
remains with the enemy alone to prevent this distressing 
alternative; for, having formed my opinion upon the 
most mature reflection and deliberation, I can never 
recede from it." 

He wrote the next day to Sir Henry Chnton : — 

"Sir, 

'' The enclosed representation from the inhabitants of 
the county of Monmouth, with testimonials to the facts, 
which can be corroborated by other unquestionable evi- 
dence, will bring before your Excellency the most 
wanton, unprecedented, and inhuman murder, that 
ever disgraced the arms of a civilized people. 

^' I shall not, because I believe it to be altogether un- 
necessary, trouble your Excellency with any animad- 
versions upon this transaction. Candour obliges me to 
be explicit. To save the innocent, I demand the guilty. 
Captain Lippencot, therefore, or the officer who com- 
manded at the execution of Captain Huddy, must be 
given up ; or, if that officer was of inferior rank to him, 
so many of the perpetrators as will, according to the 
tariff of exchange, be an equivalent. To do this will 
mark the justice of your Excellency's character. In 
failure of it, I shall hold myself justifiable, in the eyes of 
God and man, for the measure to which I shall 
resort. 

" I beg your Excellency to be persuaded, that it cannot 
be more disagreeable to you to be addressed in this lan- 
guage, than' it is to me to offer it ; but the subject 
requires frankness and decision. I have to request your 



292 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

speedy determination, as my resolution is suspended but 
for your answer." 

About ten days after, he wrote to Brigadier-General 
Hazen : — 

'• The enemy, persisting in that barbarous hne of 
conduct which they have pursued during the course of 
this war, have lately most inhumanly executed Captain 
Joshua Huddy, of the Jersey State troops, taken prisoner 
by them at a post on Tom's river ; and in consequence 
I have written to the British Commander-in-chief, that, 
unless the perpetrators of that horrid deed were delivered 
up, I should be under the disagreeable necessity of retali- 
ating, as the only means left to put a stop to such in- 
human proceedings. 

" You will, therefore, immediately, on receipt of this, 
designate by lot for the above purpose, a British captain, 
who is an unconditonal prisoner, if such a one is in 

your possession I need not mention to you, that 

every possible tenderness, that is consistent with the se- 
curity of him, should be shown to the person whose 
unfortunate lot it may be to suffer. " 

On the next day he wrote to General Robertson of 
the British army, and now Commander-in-chief; Sir 
Henry Clinton having sailed for Europe : — 

'^Head Quarters, 4th May, 1782. 

" Sir, 

" I have had the honour to receive your letter of 
the 1st instant. Your Excellency is acquainted with 
the determination expressed in my letter of the 21st of 
April to Sir Henry Clinton. I have now to inform you, 
that so far from receding from that resolution, orders are 
given to designate a British officer for retaliation. The 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 293 

time and place are fixed ; but I still hope the result of 
your court-martial will prevent this dreadful alternative. 
" Sincerely lamenting the cruel necessity, which alone 
can induce so distressing a measure in the present in- 
stance, I do assure your Excellency, that I am as earn- 
estly desirous as you can be, that the war may be carried 
on agreeably to the rules which humanity formed, and 
the example of the politest nations recommends, " <fec. 

To the Secretary at War. 

" Newburgh, 4th May, 1782. 

" Dear Sir, 

" By the letter to Brigadier-General Hazen, which I 
have enclosed to you under a flying-seal for your inspec- 
tion, you will observe the distressing alternative to which 
we are at last reduced. 

"As soon as the British officer, whose unfortunate lot it 
is to be designated as the object of retaliation, shall anive 
in Philadelphia, it will be necessary to have a sufficient 
escort, under the command of a very discreet and vigilant 
officer. 

" Keenly wounded as my feelings will be, at the de^ 
plorable destiny of the unhappy victim, no gleam of 
hope can arise to him but from the conduct of the enemy 
themselves. This he may be permitted to communicate 
to the British Commander-in-chief, in whose power alone 
it rests to avert the impending vengeance from the inno^ 
cent by executing it on the guilty. " 

The following letter, or rather extract of a letter, writ- 
ten by General Hazen to General Washington, will 
show the proceedings in designating the victim of reta^ 
liation. 

25* 



294 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

" On the evening of the 25th instant, I received your 
Excellency's letters of the 3d and 18th. As I had to 
collect the British captains, prisoners of war at this place 
[Lancaster, Pennsylvania,] and Yorktown, it was ten 
o'clock this morning before I could assemble those gen- 
tlemen together. At the drawing of lots, which was 
done in the presence of Major Gordon and all the Brit- 
ish captains within the limits prescribed, the unfortu- 
nate lot has fallen on Captain Charles Asgill, of the 
guards, a young gentleman nineteen years of age ; a 
most amiable character ; the only son of Sir Charles 
Asgill ; heir to an extensive fortune, and an honourable 
title ; and, of course, he has great interest in the British 
court and army. The British officers are highly emaged 
at the conduct of Sir Henry Clinton ; they have solicited 
my leave to send an officer to New-York on this occa- 
sion, or that I should intercede with the minister of w^ar 
to grant it. Being fully convinced, that no inconve- 
nience could possibly arise to our cause from this indul- 
gence, but, on the contrary, that good policy and hu- 
manity dictate the measure, I was pleased at the appli- 
cation, and with cheerfulness have recommended to the 
minister of war, to grant the honourable Captain Ludlow, 
son to the earl of Ludlow, leave to carry the repre- 
sentation of those unfortunate officers, who openly 
declare they have been deseited by their General, and 
given up to suffer for the sins of the guilty," &c. 

Major Gordon, the principal officer among the British 
prisoners at Lancaster, wrote to Sir Guy Carleton* as 
follows, after informing him of Captain Asgill's having 
been selected for retaliation : 

♦ This officer had just arrived as successor of Sir H. Clinton. 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 295 

" I have done all in my power to prevent it, which 
I hope will meet with your approbation. Lots were 
drawn by the captains of Lord Cornwallis' army present 
here, and when the mifortunate chance fell to Captain 
Asgill, he received it with that firm coolness that would 
have reflected honour upon any oificer in his Majesty's 
service. The delicate manner in which General Hazen 
communicated his orders to the British officers, shows 
him to be a man of real feeling ; and the mild treatment 
the prisoners have met with since we came to this place, 
deserves the warmest acknowledgments of every British 
officer. " 

On the 4th of June, General Washington wrote to 
Colonel Elias Dayton : — 

" Sir, 

" I am just informed by the Secretary at war, that 
Captain Asgill, of the British guards, an unfortunate 
officer, who is destined to be the unhappy victim to 
atone for the death of Captain Huddy, had arrived in 
Philadelphia, and would set off very soon for the Jersey 
line, the place assigned for his execution. He will 
probably arrive as soon as this will reach you, and will 
be attended by Captain Ludlow, his friend, whom he 
wishes to be permitted to go into New- York, with an 
address to Sir Guy Carleton in his behalf. 

You will, therefore, give permission to Captain Ludlow, 
to go by the way of Dobbs' Ferry into New- York, with 
such representation as Captain Asgill shall please to make 
to Sir Guy Carleton. At the same time, 1 would wish 
you to intimate to the gentlemen, that, although I am 
deeply affected with the unhappy fate, to which Captain 
Asgill is subjected, yet, that it will be to no purpose for 



296 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

them to make any representation to Sir Guy Carleton, 
which may serve to draw on a discussion of the present 
point of retaUation ; that in the stage to which the matter 
has been suffered to run, all argumentation on the sub- 
ject is entirely precluded on my part; that my resolutions 
have been grounded on so mature deliberation, that they 
must remain unalterably fixed. You will also inform 
the gentlemen, that while my duty calls me to make 
this decisive determination, humanity prompts a tear 
for the unfortunate offering, and inclines me to say, 
that I most devoutly wish his life may be spared. 

" In the mean time. I must beg that you will be pleased 
to treat Captain Asgill with every tender attention and 
politeness, (consistent with his present situation,) which 
his rank, fortune, and connexions, together with his un- 
fortunate state, demand." 

Writing to John Dickinson, President of Delaware, on 
the 19th of June, he says : — 

'' I feel myself exceedingly distressed on this occasion ; 
but my resolutions having been taken on the most 
mature deUberation, supported by the approbation of 
Congress, and grounded on the general concurrence of 
all the principal officers of the army, who wer ' parti- 
cularly consulted, they cannot be receded from. Justice to 
the army and the public, my own honour, and I think 
I may venture to say, universal benevolence, require 
them to be carried into full execution. It rests, therefore, 
with the British Commander-in-chief to prevent this un- 
happy measure from taking effect. The matter is now 
in agitation ; and I am told that a strict inquiry is mak- 
ing into the conduct of Lippencot, who is charged as be- 
ing the principal perpetrator of the cruel murder of Cap. 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 



297 



tain Huddy. Should this inquiry lead to a giving of 
sat'sfactionby a compliance with my original demand to 
Sir Henry Clinton, my feelings will be greatly relieved, 
and I need not assure y u, that I shall receive the 
highest pleasure from such an event." 

The trial of Captain Lippencot by a general court- 
martial, which was in progress when the above letter was 
written, issued in the acquittal of that officer. He was 
no doubt guilty of the murder of Huddy, but was screen- 
ed, according to the general belief, by an Association of 
Loyalists, under whose authority he had acted. The 
British commanders were aware of this wicked conniv- 
ance, and altogether dissatisfied with the acquittal of 
Lippencot. Of this Sir Guy Carleton gave General 
Washington pretty plain intimations, when apprizing him 
of the decision of the court-martial. To this communi- 
cation, the following letter from Washington to the Pre- 
sident of Congress refers ; — its date. Newburgh, 19 Au- 
gust, 1782 : 

" As Sir Guy Carleton, notwithstanding the acquittal 
of Lippencot, leprobates the measure in unequivocal 
terms^ and has given assurance of prosecuting a further 
inquiry, it has changed the ground I was proceeding up- 
on, and placed the matter upon an extremely delicate 
footing. 

■)f||c****** 

" The same reason which induced me to lay the first 
steps I took in this aflfair before Congress, urged me to 
submit it to them at its present stage. It is a great 
national concern, upon which an individual ought not 
to decide. I shall be glad to be favoured with the deter- 
mination of Congress as early as possible, as I shall sus- 



29S 



RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 



pend giving- any answer to Sir Guy Caiieton, until I 
am informed how far they are satisfied with his conduct 
hitherto. 

'' I cannot close this letter without making a remark 
upon that part of Sir Guy Carleton's, in which he 
charges me with want of humanity in selecting a victim 
from among the British officers so early as I did. He 
ought to consider, that by the usages of war, and upon 
the principles of retaliation, I should have been justified 
in executing an officer of equal rank with Captain Huddy, 
immediately uponj receiving proofs of his murder ; and 
then informing Sir Henry Chnton that I had done so. 
Besides, it was impossible for me to foresee, that it would 
be so very long before the matter would be brought to 
some kind of issue." 

It was some time before Congress acted on the matter 
thus referred to their judgment. This delay was a great 
trial to Washington's patience. He could not anticipate 
their action, and of course every proceeding on his part 
was suspended. In the meantime Sir Guy Carleton 
looked for an answer, young Asgill was tortured with 
suspense, and the public were indulging surmises and 
reflections in regard to the matter. In a letter to a mem- 
ber of Congress, Washington thus expresses himself in 
part on the subject. The letter was dated Yerplank's 
Point, 30 September, 1782 : 

" The particular cause of my disquietude at this time 
arises from two things. First, while I am totally silent 
to the public, waiting the decision of Congress on the 
case of Huddy, I see publications on this head (importing 
reflections) in one of the Pennsylvania papers, which no 
pian could have made, that had not access to my official 



CHARiCtER OF WASEINGfON. 29^ 

letter of the 19th of August to Congress ; and secondly, 
because I feel exceedingly for Captain Asgill, who was 
designated l)y lot in retaliation for Captain Huddy. 
While retaliation was apparently necessary, however 
disagi*eeable in itself, I had no repugnance to the 
measure. But when the end proposed by it is answered, 
by a disavowal of the act, by a dissolution of the board 
of refugees, and by a promise (whether with or without 
meaning to comply with it, I shall not determine), that 
further inquisition should be made into the matter, I 
thought it incumbent upon me, before I proceeded any 
farther in the matter, to have the sense of Congress, who 
had most explicitly approved, and impliedly indeed or- 
dered retaliation to take place. 

" The letter of Asgill, a copy of which I enclose, and 
the situation of his father, which I am made acquainted 
with by the British prints, work too powerfully upon my 
humanity not to wish that Congress would chalk a line 
for me to walk by in this business. To effect this is the 
cause of the trouble you now receive from, dear Sir, 
" Your most obedient, and most humble servant." 

" Captain Asgill had been for some time released from 
close confinement, and allowed to go at large on parole 
at Chatham, and in the neighbourhood of that place* 
He wrote to General Washington, requesting permission 
to return to Europe, on account of the illness of his father, 
and the distressed state of his mother and sister in con- 
sequence of that event, and of their anxiety for the fate 
impending over the son and brother. 

" In writing to the secretary of war, a week after the 
above letter, General Washington said ; ' The delay of 



300 RELIGlpUS OPINIONS AND 

Congress places me not only in a very delicate, but a very 
awkward situation. Were I to give my private opinion 
respecting Asgill, I would pronounce in favour of liis be- 
ing released from his duress, and that he should be per- 
mitted to go to his friends in Europe." — Note ly the 
Editor of Washingtoii^ s ivritings. 

During the month of October, General Washington re- 
ceived a letter from Count de Vergennes, containing a 
very pathetic appeal in behalf of Captain Asgill. This 
letter enclosed one from Lady Asgill to th Count, beg- 
ging his intercession with General Washington in favour 
of her son. The letter of the French Minister was in 
the following affecting strain : — 

•'Versailles, 29th July, 1782. 

"Sir, 

" It is not in the quality of a King, the friend and 
ally of the United States, (though with the knowledge 
and consent of His Majesty,) that 1 now have the honour 
to write to your Excellency. It is as a man of sensibility 
and a tender father, who feels all the force of paternal 
love, that I take the liberty to address to your Excellency 
my earnest solicitations in favour of a mother and family 
in tears. Her situation seems the more worthy of notice 
on our part, as it is to the humanity of a nation at war 
with her own, that she has recourse, for what she ought 
to receive from the impartial justice of her own Ge- 
nerals. 

" I have the honour to enclose to your Excellency a 
copy of a letter, which Lady Asgill has just written me. 
I am not known to her, nor was I acquainted that her 
son was the unhappy victim, destined by lot to expiate 
the odious crime that a formal denial of justice obliges 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 301 

you to avenge. Your Excellency will not read this letter 
without being extremely affected ; it had that effect upon 
the King and aueen, to whom 1 communicated it. 
The goodness of their Majesties' hearts induces them to 
desire, that the inquietudes of an unfortunate mother 
may be calmed, and her tenderness reassured. I felt, 
sir, that there are cases where humanity itself exacts the 
most extreme rigour ; perhaps the one now in question 
may be of the number— but, allowing reprisals to be 
just, it is not less horrid to those who are the victims ; 
and the character of your ExceUency is too well known, 
for me not to be persuaded, that you desire nothing more 
than to be able to avoid the disagreeable necessity. 

" There is one consideration, sir, which, though it is 
not decisive, may have an influence on your resolution. 
Captain Asgill is, doubtless, your prisoner, but he is 
among those whom the arms of the King contributed to 
put into your hands at Yorktown. Though this circum- 
stance does not operate as a safeguard, it however justi- 
fies the interest I permit myself to take in this affair. 
If it is in your power, sir, to consider, and have regard 
to it. you will do what is agreeable to their majesties ; 
the danger of young Asgill, the tears, the despair of his 
mother, affect them sensibly ; and they will see with 
pleasure the hope of consolation shine out for those un- 
fortunate people. 

"In seeking to deUver Mr. Asgill from the fate which 
threatens him, I am far from engaging you to secure 
another victim ; the pardon, to be perfectly satisfactory, 
must be entire. I do not imagine it can be productive of 
any bad consequences. If the EngUsh General has not 
been able to punish the horrible crime you complam of, 

26 



302 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

in so exemplary a manner as he should, there is reason 
to think that he will take the most efficacious measures 
to prevent the like in future. 

*' I sincerely wish, sir, that my intercession may meet 
success ; the sentiment which dictates it, and which you 
have not ceased to manifest on every occasion, assures 
me, that you will not he indifferent to the prayers 
and to the tears of a family, which has recourse to your 
clemency through me. It is rendering homage to your 
virtue to implore it. 

'' I have the honour to be, with the most perfect consi- 
deration, sir, yours, 6cc. 

" Vergennes." 

This letter and the enclosed copy of Lady Asgill's 
were, when received, transmitted to the President of 
Congress. Being taken into consideration by that body, 
it was resolved " that the Commander-in-chief be, and 
he is hereby directed, to set Captain Asgill at hberty." 

When duly informed of this resolution, General Wash- 
ington wrote the following letter to Captain Asgill. 

"Head-Quarters, 13th Nov. 1782. 

"Sir, 

" It affords me singular pleasure, to have it in my 
power to transmit to you the enclosed copy of an Act of 
Congress, of the 7th instant, by which you are released 
from the disagreeable circumstances in which you have 
so long been. Supposing that you would wish to go 
into New- York as soon as possible, I also enclose a pass- 
port for that purpose. 

" Your letter of the 18th of October, came regularly 
to my hands. I beg you to believe, that my not an- 
swering it sooner, did not proceed from inattention to 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 303 

you, or a want of feeling for your situation. I daily ex- 
pected a determination of your case, and I thought it 
better to await that, than to feed you with hopes, that 
might in the end prove fruitless. You will attribute my 
detention of the enclosed letters, which have been in my 
hands about a fortnight, to the same cause. 

"I cannot take leave of you, sir, without assuring 
you, that, in whatever light my agency in this unplea- 
sant affair may be viewed, I v/as never influenced, 
through the whole of it, by sanguinary motives, but by 
what I conceived to be a sense of my duty, which loudly 
called upon me to take measures, however disagreeable, 
to prevent a repetition of those enormities which have 
been the subject of discussion. And that this important 
end is likely to be answered, without the effusion of the 
blood of an innocent person, is not a greater relief to you^ 
than it is to, sir, your most obedient and humble ser- 
vant." 

On the 21st of November, he wrote to Count de Ver- 
gennes in answer to his letter. The conclusion of hia 
communication was in the following words : — 

" Captain Asgillhas been released, and is at perfect li- 
berty to return to the arms of an affectionate parent, whose 
pathetic address to your Excellency could not fail of inte- 
resting every feeling heart in her behalf. I have no right 
to assume any particular merit from the lenient manner in 
which this disagreeable affair has terminated. But I beg 
you to believe, sir, that I most sincerely rejoice, not only be- 
cause your humane intentions are gratified, but because 
the event accords with the wishes of His Most Christian 
Majesty, and His Royal and Amiable Consort, who, by 
their benevoleace and munificence, have endeared them- 



304 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

selves to every true American. I have the honour to 
be," &c. 

With every impartial person, we conceive that the de- 
tail now submitted, must be conclusive of Washington's 
benevolent and humane sensibilities in reference to this 
case. Though inflexible in his purposes of rigour — yet 
these were cherished from a sense of duty and not from 
any want of sympathy in the sufferings of others. He 
evidently thought that the partial sacrifice in question, 
was demanded by the claims of '• universal benevolence." 
What his views and feelings were respecting the princi- 
ple in the abstract, and of course, as it was involved in 
in the case before us, may be learned from the unbiassed 
expression of his sentiments on that subject, in a letter 
to General Greene, written some months before the event 
whose occurrence subjected him to so severe a trial. 
General Greene had requested the opinion of Congress, 
and of the Commander-in-chief, on the point of retalia- 
tion, in reference to the murder of Colonel Hayne by the 
enemy. General Washington in reply, wrote him, un- 
der date of December 15th, 1781 : 

" I really know not what to say on the subject of retal- 
iation. Congress have it under consideration, and we 
must await their determination. Of this I am convinced, 
that of all laws, it is the most diflftcult to execute, where 
you have not the transgressor himself in your possession. 
Humanity will ever interfere and plead strongly against 
the sacrifice of an innocent person for the guilt of ano- 
ther." 

We shall detain the reader with a single remark. If 
we have devoted to the subject of this chapter, (the hu- 
manity of Washington,) more space than some are dis- 



Character of Washington. 305: 

posed to consider necessary, we think a sufficient reason 
may be assigned. There was no one virtue in the father 
of his country more exposed than this to the as- 
saults of temptation, nor one more frequently or violently 
impeached by his enemies. A considerable portion of 
his life being spent amidst scenes of military conflict, 
where spectacles of human suffering and bloodshed were 
constantly before him, it is certain that the trial of his 
virtue was great, and liable to suspicion from the very 
fact of its exposure to influences so malign. If to these 
unfavourable accidents, we add the trying circumstances 
and embarrassing duties of his high station, with all the 
responsibilities and fearful consequences involved in the 
faithful and effectual discharge of its obligations, we can- 
not be surprised, that a course of conduct should some- 
times be imposed on him, by which he would be rendered 
liable to charges of inhumanity with partial, interested, 
and incompetent judges. A military life is confessedly 
adverse to the benignant feehngs and sympathies of our 
nature ; and in estimating their prevalence in the cha- 
racter of a warrior) great allowance should be made for 
his peculiar position and the unpropitious influences 
thereof. In the present instance we claim the advantage 
of this reasonable concession ; and if it is freely granted, 
the question is settled. Nor only so. Washington's right 
to the honour of this virtue will stand on the highest 
ground : the closest scrutiny, we think, will serve to en- 
hance hisclainiB, and show him entitled to a credit ren- 
dered the more illusirious from the severity of the ordeal 
through which it was his pecuhar destiny to pass* 



26* 



306 REtlGIOtS OPIJ^'IONS Aiji? 



CHAPTER XIV. 

HIS VIEWS OF PROFANE SWEARING, 
GAMING AND DRUNKENNESS. 

In the history of profaneness, there is this singular pe- 
culiarity ; that, whilst no man pretends to excuse or justi- 
fy it, there are yet multitudes of our race who give it the 
sanction of their practical approval. The vice is acknow- 
ledged to be evil, and only evil, whilst the temptations to it 
are few and feeble ; and yet many, in spite of their convic- 
tions, indulge in it, heedless of the consequences to them- 
selves or others. 

In so serious a light does the Almighty regard this 
offence, that He has included it among the sins specially 
denounced in the decalogue. That there was ample 
teason for this solemn prohibition, will be admitted by all 
who duly consider the essential malignity of the vice, 
and the injury done by it to the transgressor himself, as 
to those with v/hom his example may have authority and 
influence. 

The sin has its origin in a wrong state of the affec- 
tions. There must be irreverence towards God in the 
heart, before the same could have so decided a mani- 
festation in the speech. The effect of indulgence in this, 
as in everv other bad propensity, is to augment its force. 
Habit gives strength and energy to the passion. The 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 307 

smothered fire exposed to the quickening breeze, is 
soon fanned into a flame. Nor is there any atmosphere 
more withering to the buds of grace and virtue than that 
of profaneness. Under its scorching influence there is 
a gradual decay of every better feeling ; and waxing 
worse and worse as his corruption spreads, man is at 
length totally deserted by Him whose sacred name he 
has not feared to dishonour, whenever incited thereto by 
the impulses either of anger or of mirth. 

Whilst the injury is great to the swearer himself, the 
effects of his iniquity are not less serious in regard to so- 
ciety at large. Nothing is more demoralizing in its 
influence upon mankindj than profane swearing. It not 
only weakens what has been termed the moral sense 
in those who pi'actise it, but very much corrupts that es- 
sential faculty in those who hear with frequency, the 
polluting sounds of blasphemy. Where the vice pre- 
vails, the fear of God is never found ; and men, released 
from the salutary checks of conscience and rehgion, give 
free scope to their passions, and submit to no restraints 
but those which self-interest may impose. 

Gaming also is a practice, vicious in itself, and very 
detrimental to society. Whatever apologies may be made 
for it by those interested in its defence, it is nevertheless 
certain, that there are few vices more intrinsically evil, 
or relatively injurious. As profaneness is a violation of 
the command, " Thou shalt not take the name of the 
Lord thy God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guilt- 
less that taketh his name in vain," - so this is Indulged, in 
contravention of the command '' Thou shalt not steal." 
There are but two ways in which a man can honestly be- 
come the possessor of the property of others ; that is, by free 



308 RELIGIOtrS OPINIONS ANi3 

gift, or by returning an equivalent for what is receiveci^ 
Now it is by neither of these methods, that the gamester 
acquires the property of his associates. He does not receive 
it as a free gift, nor does he give them an equivalent for 
their property. Their wealth has been transferred to his 
coffers, sorely against their will, and he is in possession 
of it without the sacrifice of a farthing on his part ; and 
it was with the desire for, and hope of such a result, that 
he sat down to the gaming table. He coveted his neigh^ 
hour's money, and avails himself of this way of getting 
it from him, careless of the consequences to him, regard- 
less of his sufferings or his total ruin. 

In such an engagement there must be the worst feel- 
ings embarked. Besides the " accursed love of gold," which 
moves the whole, there is a feverish excitement of selfish 
desire, which withers every generous feeling of the breast, 
and exhausts every energy of mind and body. Self is 
the idol at whose shrine the parties offer their adorations. 
To this, as to another Moloch, do. they sacrifice every 
good affection, every tender sympathy^ every claim of 
humanity. No matter how severe the calamity, of for* 
tune lost, and family beggared; no matter what anguish 
may wring the tortured soul of the loser ; the winner 
in his triumph is heedless of it all. He witnesses the 
distress he has caused, and cherishes no feeling of sym* 
pathy, nor any kind purpose of relieving the unhappy 
sufferer. He could do so without injury to himself^ 
it would only be necessary for him to restore what be- 
longed to the other, and when thus restored, would leave 
him where he was before the game commenced. But 
this he will not do. He chooses to retain his ill-gotten 



CflAUACTER OF WASHINGTON. 309 

gains, that he may expend them in guilty extravagance 
or in miserly accumulation. 

This unhallowed pursuit involves, moreover, a total 
subversion of the economy of social life. The order of 
Providence directs to honest and patient industry, as the 
means of acquiring the ordinary benefits of earth. The 
appointment is fraught Avith the richest blessings to men. 
It gains for them a competency of worldly goods, with 
comfort, health, and security. There is no other course 
of conduct so favourable to the development of virtue and 
the attainment of true happiness. Such a life is the 
friend of sobriety, the nurse of contentment, and aid of 
godliness. In this way alone can individuals or com- 
munities prosper. In this way alone can they gain 
happiness for this life, or hope for the next. But with 
this beneficent provision of a kind providence, the love 
of play is entirely at war. Instead of industry, with its 
train of blessings, there is idleness, extravagance, waste, 
improvidence^ fraud, inhumanity and impiety. If such 
a spirit prevailed universally, society would be dissolv- 
ed, and all its precious blessings be no more. 

The crime of Drunkenness is one of hideous aspect, 
and appalling consequences. There is, however, less oc- 
casion to discuss this vice, because many pens and 
tongues have been of late actively engaged in displaying 
its enormity, and holding up its evils to the public view. 
In all that is said of its guilt, its malignity, and awful 
effects we entirely concur. It has, indeed, been the un- 
relenting scourge of our earth, and is now one of the 
most dreadful curses by which the race is afflicted. It 
is at this hour one of the most prolific sources of disease, 
disgrace, poverty, and death, that is known in our world 



310 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

and more than any thing else, demands tlie zeal of the 
patriot, philanthropist, and Christian, in order to its correc- 
tion and final extinction. 

Wise and good men have ever been the uncompromis- 
ing enemies of the evil practices and habits here detailed. 
Regarding them as offensive to God and destructive to 
men, they have held it their duty to condemn their in- 
dulgence, and endeavour to arrest their growth and 
prevalence. 

Among the many worthies who have borne a decided 
and unequivocal testimony against them, the subject of 
these pages is entitled to a high rank. From an early 
period of his life he seems to have been impressed with a 
proper sense of the great evil of them, and to have used 
his influence, on all proper occasions, to discourage and 
suppress them in those with whom he might have weight 
and authority. 

In a letter written to an inferior officer of the army, 
in the year 1756, he has the following language : 

"The Governour seems determined to make the Offi- 
cers comply with the terms of holding their commissions, 

or forfeit them He seems uneasy at what I 

own gives me much concern ; namely, that gaming is 
introduced into the camp. I am ordered to discourage 
it, and nmst desire that you will intimate the same." 

In reference to this and kindred topics he wrote to 
Governour Dinwiddle, from Winchester, under date of 
April 18th, 1756. 

" Sir, 

" It gave me infinite concern to find in yours, by Go- 
vernour Innes, that any representations should inflame 
the Assembly against the Virginia regiment, or give cause 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 31 1 

to suspect the morality and good behaviour of the offi- 
cers. How far any of the individuals may have deserved 
such reflections, I will not take upon me to determine ; but 
this I am certain of, and can call my conscience, and 
what 1 suppose will be a still more demonstrative proof 
in the eyes of the world, my orders, to witness how much 
I have, both by threats and persuasive means, endeav 
oured to discountenance gaining, drinking, swearing , 
and irregularities of every other kind ; while I have, 
on the other hand, practised every artifice to inspire a 
laudable emulation in the officers for the service of their 
country, and to encourage the soldiers in the unerring 
exercise of their duty. How far I have failed in this 
desirable end, I cannot pretend to say. But it is never- 
theless a point, which does in my opinion merit some 
scrutiny, before it meets with a final condemnation. 
Yet I will not undertake to vouch for the conduct of 
many of the officers, as I know there are some, who 
have the seeds of idleness very strongly implanted in 
their natures. 

" However, if I continue in the service, I shall take 
care to act with a little more rigour, than has hitherto 
been practised, since I find it so necessary." 

In the succeeding June, whilst at Fort Cumberland, 
the following orders were issued by the Commander: — ^ 

*' Colonel Washington has observed, that the men 
of his regiment are very profane and reprobate. He 
takes this opportunity to infoiTn them of his great dis- 
pleasure at such practices, and assures them that, if 
they do not leave them off, they shall be severely 
punished. The officers are desired, if they hear any 



312 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

man swear, or make use of an oath or execration, to 
order the offender twenty-five lashes immediately, with- 
out a court-martial. For the second offence he will be 
more severely punished." 

In September he wrote, from Mount Vernon, to Gover- 
nour Dinwiddle : — 

" I apprehend it will be thought advisable to keep a 
garrison always at Fort Loudoun ; for which reason I 
would beg leave to represent the number of tippling- 
houses in Winchester, as a great nusiance to the soldiers, 
who, by this means, in despite of the utmost care and 
vigilance, are, so long as their pay holds out, inces- 
santly drunk, and unfit for service." 

The day after General Washington took command 
of the American army, under the authority of Congress, 
he issued orders to the troops, of which the following is 
an extract : 
/ " The General most earnestly requires and expects a 
due observance of those articles of war, established for 
the government of the army, which forbid profane curs- 
ing, swearing, and drunkenness. And in like manner, 
he requires and expects of all officers and soldiers, not 
engaged on actual duty, a punctual attendance on divine 
service," &c. 

On the 26th of February, 1776, the following orders 
were issued : 

" All officers, non-commissioned officers, and soldiers, 
are positively forbid playing at cards and other games 
of chance. At this time of public distress, men may find 
enough to do in the service of their God and their coun- 
try, without abandoning themselves to vice and immo- 
.^ rality." 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 3l3 

From the Orderly Book, August 30.— ''The General 
is sorry to be informed, that the fooHsh and wicked prac- 
tice of profane cursing and swearing, a vice heretofore 
little known in an American army, is growing into 
fashion ; he hopes the officers will, by example as well as 
influence, endeavour to check it ; and that both they and 
the men will reflect, that we can have little hope of the 
blessing of heaven on our arms, if we insult it by our im- 
piety and folly ; added to this, it is a vice so mean and 
low, without any temptation, that every man of sense and 
character detests and despises it." 

In a circular to the brigadier-generals, dated 26th of 
May, 1777, are the following instructions : 

"■ Let vice and immorahty of every kind be discouraged 
as much as possible in your brigade ; and, as a chaplain 
is allowed to each regiment, see that the men regularly 
attend divine worship. Gaming of every kind is ex- 
pressly forbidden, as being the foundation of evil, and the 
cause of many a brave and gallant officers ruin. Games 
of exercise for amusement, may not only be permitted 
but encouraged."* 

* As an evidence of Washington's disposition to encourage among 
his troops, innocent diversions in place of vicious ones ; the following 
anecdote may not be unacceptable. 

" In the year 1780, a command of about five hundred men had been 
detached from the main army, to a post on the bank of the Hudson, 
above Fort Lee, at Avhat is now called, we believe, "The Pallisadoes." 
Soon after, General Washington, accompanied by his staff, visited the 
command. After the usual parade and salute, the troops st*acked arms ; 
and several of the officers and men amused themselves with efforts to 
cast stones from the high bluff, (which to the eye appeared almost per- 
pendicular,) into the river ; but no one Avas able to effect it. Wash- 
ington, sitting on his charger, and witnessing the sport, emiled at the 
ineffectual attempts, dismounted, gave his sword to his servant, search- 

27 



314 EELIGIOUS OPmiONS AND 

The following is an extract of a private letter written 
to his nephew, Bushrod Washington, then a student of 
law in Philadelphia, and afterwards heir of Mount Yer- 
non, and an associate judge of the Supreme Court of the 
United States. It will be found to contain a forcible re- 
iteration of views, presented in our previous citations. 
''Newburgh, 15th Jan. 1783. 

" Dear Bushrod, 

" Let the object, which carried you to Philadelphia, be 
always before your eyes. Remember, that it is not the 
mere study of the law, but to become eminent in the pro- 
fession of it, that is to yield honour and profit. The first 
was your choice ; let the second be your ambition. Dis- 
sipation is incompatible with both ; the company in 
which you will improve most, will be the least expensive 
to you ; and yet I am not such a stoic as to suppose that 
you will, or to think it right that you should, always be 
in company with senators and philosophers ; but of the 
juvenile kind, let me advise you to be choice. It is easy 
to make acquaintances, but very difiicult to shake them 
off, however irksome and unprofitable they are found, 
after we have once committed ourselves to them. The 

ted for a stone, and finding a suitable one, took two or three quick steps, 
and giving it a jerk, it seemed to take wings, and scaling a considera- 
ble distance almost horizontally, struck the water, at least a rod from 
the shore. All the troops witnessed the feat, and gave three spontan- 
eous cheers, when the General, without the least appearance of hav- 
ing made an exertion, remounted and returned to the camp. It would 
be difficult to describe the sensations felt by the spectators, of this feat 
of muscular strength, however trivial, performed by the idol of the 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 315 

indiscretions, which very often they involuntary lead 
one into, prove equally distressing and disgraceful. 

" Be courteous to all, but intimate with few ; and let 
those few be well tried before you give them your confi- 
dence. True friendship is a plant of slow growth, and 
must undergo and withstand the shocks of adversity be- 
fore it is entitled to the appellation. 

" Let your heart feel for the afflictions and distresses of 
every one, and let your hand give in proportion to your 
purse ; remembering always the estimation of the wi- 
dow's mite, but, that it is not every one that asketh, that 
deserveth charity ; all, however, are worthy of the in- 
quiry, or the deserving may suffer. 

'« Do not conceive that fine clothes make fine men, any 
more than fine feathers make fine birds. A plain gen- 
teel dress is more admired, and obtains more credit, than 
lace and embroidery, in the eyes of the judicious and 
sensihle. 

*' The last thing which I shall mention, is first in im- 
portance ; and that is, to avoid faming. This is a vice 
which is productive of every possible evil ; equally in- 
jurious to the morals and health of its votaries. It is the 
child of avarice, the brother of iniquity, and father of 
mischief. It has been the ruin of many worthy fami- 
hes, the loss of many a man's honour, and the cause of 
suicide. To all those who enter the Hsts, it is equally 
fascinating. The successful gamester pushes his good 
fortune, till it is overtaken by a reverse. The losing 
gamester, in hopes of retrieving past misfortunes, goes 
on from bad to worse, till grown desperate, he pushes at 
every thing and loses his all. In a word, few gain by 
this abominable practice, while thousands are injured. 



316 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

" Perhaps you will say, ' My conduct has anticipated 
the advice/ and, ' not one of the cases applies to me.' I 
shall be heartily glad of it. It will add not a little to 
my happiness, to find those to whom I am so nearly con- 
nected, pursuing the right walk of Ufe ; it will be the sure 
road to my favour, and to those honours and places of 
profit, which their country can bestow ; as merit rarely 
goes unrewarded. I am, dear Bushrod, your affectionate 
uncle." 

Thus strong and emphatic was the condemnation, 
which these vices incurred at the hands of the Father of 
his Country. Nor will any, Avho have carefully marked 
the tone and spirit of his admonitions, be disposed to as- 
cribe his opposition to a mere love of order, or concern 
for the interests of the service in which he was engaged. 
It is manifest that his disapprobation was cordial, spring- 
ing from a real and fixed aversion to the habits them- 
selves. They were offensive to his sense of moral and 
religious propriety, and therefore discouraged, from prin- 
ciple, through every period of his life. It need scarcely 
be added, that his example was in harmony with his 
precepts, and was always considered as fully authorizing 
the decision and zeal with which he censured vice in 
those who were in any Vay subject to his command. 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 317 



CHAPTER X^. 



HIS VIEWS OF WAR. 

There is no fruit of human corruption more strongly- 
marked with the impress of its unholy origin, than ag- 
gressive war. Few practices known in our world, can 
be for a moment compared with this, for its essential ma- 
lignity of purpose, and its desolation of human happiness 
and virtue. It exhibits at once the strongest proof of hu- 
man depravity, and the fearful^connexion established 
between vice and suffering. For it is indeed " the day 
of the Lord, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger." It 
is a case in which retribution pursues transgression with 
unwonted rapidity. In many instances of human folly 
and sin, vengeance slumbers for a season. But here, as 
if to deter mankind from an iniquity thus monstrous 
and fatal, the punishment is so blended with the offence, 
that the delusive hope of impunity can never be cherish- 
ed. If the worst effects of the storm are not encoun- 
tered, yet to pass through entirely unscathed is next to an 
impossibility. If the physical evils are escaped, yet the 
moral will not be. If the body is not sacrificed, yet will 
27* 



318 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

a more costly offering be made in the immolation of the 
spirit, in the loss of its virtue and its happiness. 

'' War," says a celebrated writer, * " may be considered 
in two views, — as it affects the happiness, and as it affects 
the virtue of mankind ; as a source of misery, and as a 
source of crimes. 

'' 1. Though we must all die, as the woman of Te- 
koa said, and are as water sjnlt uj^on the ground 
which cannot he gathered up, yet it is impossible for 
a human mind to contemplate the rapid extinction of 
innumerable lives without concern. To perish in a mo- 
ment, to be hurried instantaneously, without preparation 
and without warning, into the presence of the Supreme 
Judge, has something in it inexpressibly awful and af- 
fecting War is the work, the element, or 

rather the sport and triumph of death, who glories, not 
only in the strength of his conquests, but in the richness 
of his spoil. In the other methods of attack, in the other 
forms which death assumes, the feeble and the aged, 
who at the best can liv^but a short time, are usually the 
victims ; here it is the vigorous and the strong. It is 
remarked by an ancient historian, that ' in peace children 
bury their parents, in war parents bury their children :' 
nor is the difference small. Children lament their pa- 
rents, sincerely indeed, but with that moderate and tran- 
quil sorrow which it is natural for those to feel who are 
conscious of retaining many tender ties, many animating 
prospects. Parents mourn for their children with the 
bitterness of despair; the aged parent, the widowed 
mother, loses, when she is deprived of her children, 

♦Robert Hall. 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 



319 



every thing but the capacity of suffering ; her heart 
withered and desolate, admits no other object, cherishes 
no other hope. It is Rachael iveeping for her children^ 
and refusing to he comforted because they are not, 

" What a scene must a field of battle present, where 
thousands are left without assistance and without pity, 
with their wounds exposed to the piercing air, while the 
blood, freezing as it flows, binds them to the earth, amid 
the trampling of horses and the insults of an enraged 
foe ! If they are spared by the humanity of the enemy, 
and carried from the field, it is but a prolongation of tor- 
ment. Conveyed in uneasy vehicles, often to a remote 
distance, through roads almost impassable, they are 
lodged in ill-prepared receptacles for the wounded and the 
sick, where the variety of distress baffles all the efforts of 
humanity and skill, and renders it impossible to give 
to each the attention he demands. Far from their native 
home, no tender assiduities of friendship, no well-known 
voice, no wife, or mother, or sister, is near to soothe their 
sorrows, relieve their thirst, or close their eyes in death. 
Unhappy man ! and must you be swept into the grave 
unnoticed and unnumbered, and no friendly tear be shed 
for your sufferings or mingled with your dust ? " 

After other forcible reflections on the numerous evils 
of w^ar, besides those which touch the persons and lives 
of men, our author proceeds to make the following re- 
marks on the influence of national warfare on the morals 
of mankind. 

" The contests of nations are both the offspring and 

the parent of injustice. The word of God ascribes the 

existence of war to the disorderly passions of mankind. 

Whence come wars and fightings among you 7 saith 



320 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

the apostle James ; come they not from your lusts that 
war in your members ? It is certain that two nations 
cannot engage in hostilities, but one party must be guilty 
of injustice ; and if the magnitude of crimes is to be 
estimated by a regard to their consequences, it is difficult 
to conceive an action of equal guilt with the wanton vio- 
lation of peace. Though something must generally be 
allowed for the complexness and intricacy of national 
claims, and the consequent liability to deception, yet 
where the guilt of an unjust war is clear and manifest, 
it sinks every other crime into insignificance. If the ex- 
istence of war always miplies injustice in one at least 
of the parties concerned, it is also the fruitful parent of 
crimes. It reverses with respect to its objects, all the rules 
of morality. It is nothing less than a temporary repeal 
of the principles of virtue. It is a system out of which 
almost all the virtues are excluded, and in which nearly 
all the vices are incorporated. Whatever renders human 
nature amiable or respectable, whatever engages love or 
confidence, is sacrificed at its shrine. In instmcting us to 
consider a portion of our fellow-creatures as the proper 
objects of enmity, it removes, as far as they are con- 
cerned, the basis of all society, of all civilization and 
virtue ; for the basis of these is the good-will due to every 
individual of the species, as being a part of ourselves. 
From this principle all the rules of social virtue emanate. 
Justice and humanity, in their utmost extent, are nothing 
more than the practical application of this great law. 
The sword, and that alone, cuts asunder the bond of con- 
sanguinity which unites man to man. As it immediate- 
ly aims at the extinction of life, it is next to impossible, 
upon the principle that every thing may be lawfully 



CHARACTER GF WASHINGTON. 321 

done to liim whom we have a right to kill, to set Umits 
to miHtary Ucense ; for when men pass from the domina- 
tion of reason to that of force, whatever restraints are 
attempted to be laid on the passions will be feeble and 
fluctuating. Though we must applaud, therefore, the 
attempts of the humane Grotius, to blend maxims of 
humanity with military operations, it is to be feared they 
will never coalesce, since the former imply the subsist- 
ence of those ties which the latter suppose to be dissolved. 
Hence the morality of peaceful times are directly opposite 
to the maxims of war. The fundamental rule of the 
first is to do good ; of the latter to inflict injuries. The 
former commands us to succour the oppressed ; the 
latter to overwhelm the defenceless. The former teaches 
men to love their enemies ; the latter to make them- 
selves terrible even to strangers. 

'' While the philanthropist is devising means to miti- 
gate the evils and augment the happiness of the world, 
a fellow-worker together with God, in exploring and giv- 
ing effect to the benevolent tendencies of nature, the war- 
rior is revolving in the gloomy recesses of his capacious 
mind, plans of future devastation and ruin. Prisons 
crowded with captives, cities emptied of their inhabitants, 
fields desolate and waste, are among his proudest tro- 
phies. The fabric of his fame is cemented with tears 
and blood ; and if his name is wafted to the ends of the 
earth, it is in the shrill cry of suffering humanity ; in 
the curses and imprecations of those whom his sword 
has reduced to despair. 

" Let me not be understood to involve in this guilt, 
every man who engages in war, or to assert that war it- 



322 RELIGI^S OPINIONS AND 

self is in all cases unlawful. The injustice of mankind, 
hitherto incurable, renders it in some instances necessary, 
and therefore lawful ; but unquestionably, these instances 
are much more rare than the practice of the world and 
its loose casuistry would lead us to suppose." 

In these just and eloquent remarks we have such sen- 
timents as might well be expected from a minister of the 
Prince of Peace. But do not the sentiments they con- 
tain commend themselves to the cordial approbation of 
every benevolent mind? That they were the views en- 
tertained by the eminent subject of these pages, though 
a soldier from his youth, may be very clearly shown by 
reference to his recorded opinions. 

In the year 1761, we find him expressing himself in 
the following language, in a letter written from Monnt 
Vernon to Richard Washington, of London : — 

^' I do not know that I can muster up one tittle of news 
to communicate. In short, the occurrences of this part 
of the world are at present scarce worth reciting ; for as 
w^e hve in a state of peaceful tranquiUity ourselves, so we 
are at very little trouble to inquire after the operations 
against the Cherokees, who are the only people that dis- 
turb the repose of this great continent, and who, I believe, 
would gladly accommodate differences upon almost any 
terms ; not, I conceive, from any apprehensions they are 
under, on account of our arms, but because they want 
the supplies, w^ith which we, and we only can furnish 
them. We catch the reports of peace with gaping mouth, 
and every person seems anxious for a confirmation of 
that desirable event, provided it comes, as no doubt it 
will upon honourable terms," 



CttARACTER OF WASHlNGfON* 323 

Writing to the same a few weeks later he says : — 

'' We have httle or no news. Our assembly is at pre- 
sent convened, to grant supplies for carrying on the war 
against the Cherokee Indians, should they choose to con- 
tinue it, but this I am persuaded, they are by no means 
inclined to do, nor are they prepared for it, as they have 
been soliciting peace for some time past. I wish the 
powers of Europe were as well disposed to an accomoda- 
tion as these poor wretches. A stop would then be put 
to the effusion of blood, and peace and plenty would re- 
sume their empire again, to the joy and content, I believe, 
of most ranks and degrees of people. I am," <fec. 

The same sentiments in favour of peace and harmony 
among nations, will be found in the subjoined " Answer 
to an address of the New- York Provincial Congress," — 
the date of the answer being. New- York, 26th June, 
1775 :— 

" Gentlemen, 

" At the same time that with you I deplore the unhap- 
py necessity of such an appointment, as that with which 
I am now honoured, I cannot but feel sentiments of the 
highest gratitude for this affecting instance of distinction 
and regard. 

'' May your every wish be realized in the success of 
America, at this unportant and interesting period ; and 
be assured, that every exertion of my worthy colleagues 
and myself, will be equally extended to the re- establish- 
ment of peace and harmony between the mother coun- 
try and the colonies, as to the fatal but necessary opera- 
tions of war. When^_we assumed the soldier, we did 
not lay aside the citizen ; and we shall most sincerely 



SIM RELIO^OUS OPINIONS AND 

rejoice with you in that happy hour, when the establish- 
ment of American liberty, upon the most firm and solid 
foundations, shall enable us to return to our private sta- 
tions in the bosom of a free, peaceful, and happy coun- 
try. I am," &c. 

The feelings expressed in this letter, were those 
which attended the writer through every period and vi- 
cissitude of the revolution. Though animated by a mili- 
tary spirit, and eminently qualified for the operations of 
war, yet was he heartily averse to the necessity laid 
upon him, and ever longing for the shades of his own 
rural retreat, and the peaceful employments of his farm. 
He continued the pursuits of war from a solemn con- 
viction of duty ; but so soon as a sense of obligation per- 
mitted, he hastened away from the camp and battle-field, 
to the long desired scenes of domestic and agricultural 
life. 

We find the following sentiments in a letter written 
to Arthur Young, Esq., of Great-Britain, some years after 
the War ; its date is Mount Vernon, Dec. 4, 1788 : — 

^' The more I am acquainted with agricultural aflfairs, 
the better I am pleased with them ; insomuch, that I 
can no where find so great satisfaction as in those inno- 
cent and useful pursuits. In indulging these feelings, 
I am led to reflect how much more dehghtful to an un- 
debauched mind, is the task of making improvements 
on the earth, than all the vain-glory which can be ac- 
acquired from ravaging it, by the most uninterrupted 
career of conquests. The design of this observation, is 
only to show how much, as a member of human society, 
I feel myself obliged by your labours to render respect- 
able and advantageous, an employment which is more 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 325 

congenial to the natural dispositions of mankind, than 
any other." 

In a letter written about the same time to the secretary 
of the Humane Society, in Boston, the foUowing views 
are expressed : 

" Your respectable favour covering a recent publica- 
tion of the Humane Society, has, within a few days 
past, been put into my hands. 

"I observe, with singular satisfaction, the casss in which 
your benevolent institution has been instrumental in re- 
calhng some of our fellow-creatures (as it were) from be- 
yond the gates of eternity ; and it has given occasion for 
the hearts of parents and frienda to leap with joy. The 
provision made for shipwrecked mariners is also highly 
estimable in the view of every philanthropic mind, and 
greatly consolatory to the suffering part of the commu- 
nity. These things will draw upon you the blessings of 
those who were nigh to perish. These works of charity 
and good-will towards men, reflect, in my estimation, 
great lustre upon the authors, and presage an era of still 
further improvements. 

» How pitiful, in the eye of reason and religion, is that 
false ambition which desolates the world with fire and 
sword for the purposes of conquest and fame, compared to 
the milder virtues of making our neighbours and our 
fellow-men as happy as their frail conditions and perish- 
able natures will permit them to be." 

The following extracts from letters written by a 
Dr. Letsom, of London, to a friend in Boston, contain 
references to the above communication : 

" I received with great pleasure thy letter containing 
an extract of another from General AVashington, in 

28 



326 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

which that hero, who effected, with httle bloodshed, the 
greatest revolution in history, breathes the sentiments of 
true philanthropy. 

" I have not the honour of knowing, or corresponding 
with General Washington, but if any opportunity offers^ 
might I presume upon communicating to him the cor- 
dial approbation his humane sentiments have impressed 
upon me 1 A warrior clothed with humanity and wis- 
dom, is the symbol of Minerva ; and few have united 
them. Turenne had courage and some degree of hu- 
manity ; but he it Avas that burnt the Palatinate, and 
had the Nero-like pleasure of seeing thirteen cities in 
flames. Scipio's humanity was stained with the destruc- 
tion of Carthage; and Rome fell for want of a rival. 
Alexander the Great, and the modern Frederick, had 
their stains of cruelty. But your Hero, without the 
lictor of Cincinnatus, was obeyed : — Conquers and re- 
tires, without the foul stain of blood. 

" Our anniversary dinner was attended by about 500. 
In my address to those gentlemen, ex-officio, being trea- 
surer, I introduced the extract from General Washing- 
ton's letter, as a part of my speech, which was received 
with exclamations and plaudits. Lord Fife, the Bishop 
of St. David's, Lord Stamford, and Lord Willoughby de 
Broke, were present." 

The sincerity of Washington's professions was never 
rendered questionable by a single instance of aggressive 
war on his part. He always fought in self-defence, in sup- 
port of the rights, liberties, and lives, of his fellow-country- 
men Nor did he ever seek to prolong the contest from mo- 
tives of ambition or gain. He ever ardently desired the 
cessation of hostilities, and the grateful return of peace, 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 237 

harmony, and good-will. War was not a game in which 
he sought amusement at the expense of others, but a last 
resort, in whose dangers and toils he always bore his full 
share, and from which he sought release, as soon as 
conscience and honour would permit. The spirit in 
which he contended was that which secured the favour 
of a righteous Providence, and the approbation of all 
good men. If the same principles were universally 
cherished by those who rule the destinies of nations, the 
auspicious day would soon dawn upon the world,' in 
which the people " shall beat their swords into plough- 
shares, and their spears into pruning-hooks ; in which, 
nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither 
shall they learn war any more." 



328 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 



CHAPTER XYL 

HIS VIEV/S OF DUELLING. 

It is one of the p] easing indications of a growing re- 
finement in morals and manners, that Duelling has 
lost in our age, much of its imposing lustre, as a chival- 
rous and dignified custom. The lights of knowledge 
and religion have unveiled its true character, and reveal- 
ed it as a barbarous practice, worthy of its gothic orij^inj 
and founded in principles as fatal to the peace and stabi- 
lity of the social state, as they are derogatory to the honour 
and authority of God. 

There is, however, delusion enough on the subject still 
lingering among men, to claim in this connection, a few 
remarks in illustration of the evil and mischievous nature 
of the vice. 

The divine command, prohibiting the destruction of 
human hfe, is violated in various ways, as moralists de- 
cide. Among these there are none more justly exposed 
to the withering imputation, than the one now under 
consideration. In Duelling, we have all the real con- 
stituents of this sin. Where a challenge is given and 
accepted, there is assuredly, in the great majority of in- 
stances at least, a design to kill cherished by both par- 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 329 

ties. This is evinced as clearly as outward actions can 
indicate the inward dispositions. It is rendered manifest 
by every step taken in the honotirahle affair, from the 
selection of deadly weapons, down to the fatal aim at 
the seat of life, in the hour of bloody combat. What- 
ever aggravation arises from deliberate intention, also at- 
tends the deed. The challenge is usually given after time 
has been taken for reflection, and it is accepted under 
the same circumstances. Can it be said, notwithstand- 
ing, that there is no intention to destroy life? What^ 
then, is the intention? Is it to be killed? This 
cannot be. Does not hatred, or revenge, ordinarily 
prompt the whole proceeding ? If it is ever otherwise, is 
it not an exception to a general rule ? There has been 
a real or imaginary injury received, and anger kindles 
within the bosom a thirst for blood. Thus the Holy 
Scriptures declare that " he that is angry with his brother 
without a cause, and he that hateth his brother is a mur- 
derer." If the principle, though not revealed in the 
conduct, is thus regarded as murder, in the bud, what 
shall be thought of its practical development in the posi^ 
tive attempt to kill. It is an imposition on the common 
sense of mankind to assign other motives to such con- 
duct, or to palliate the enormity of the act, by referring it 
to other principles than those which manifestly prompt 
it. Regarded in its most favourable aspect — as a sacri- 
.fice to public opinion, the extenuation is very slight ; for 
even in that case, without any just warrant, the hazard 
is run of the most dreadful consequences. The loss of 
two lives is risked, with all the distressing effects to re- 
latives and friends. Those who, perhaps, claim the 
care and protection of a husband and a father, may be 
left forlorn and desolate. The light of hope may be ex^ 
28* 



330 RELI^US OPINIONS AND 

tinguished, and all the evils of friendless widowhood, 
and helpless orphanage, come upon them. It is useless, 
however, to enlarge. Whatever human ingenuity may 
devise in its vindication, there is no crime more palpa- 
bly cr grossly wicked in itself ; none more justly exposed 
to the anathemas of Heaven, or the reprobation of men. 
Nor can we rejoice too much in those just and humane 
sentiments, which at length to a great extent, have ar- 
rayed against it the solemn enactments of law, and the 
stern decisions of judicial officers and civil rulers. 

"What the views of Washington were, in reference to 
this barbarous practice, may be inferred from an occur- 
rence of his early years, of which the following facts are 
the most prominent : 

In the year 1754, when about twenty-two years of 
age, he was stationed in Alexandria, as Colonel of a 
regiment of Virginia troops. During his stay in that 
town, an election for members of the House of Burgesses 
took place. The candidates were Colonel George Fair- 
fax and a Mr. Elzey. His warm friendship for Colonel 
Fairfax brought him in collision with a Mr. Payne, 
the friend of Mr. Elzey. In consequence of some offen- 
sive language into which he was betrayed towards 
Mr. Payne, that individual struck him with a stick, 
and so violent v/as the blow, that it knocked him down. 
There being a great excitement among the officers and 
men belonging to his regiment, because of this indignity 
offered their beloved commander, he forthwith employed 
his influence in allaying the tumult, and then retired 
to his lodgings in a public house. From thence he 
wrote a note to Mr. Payne, requesting that he would 
meet him next morning at the tavern, as he wished to 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTOI^. 331 

see him in reference to their recent disagreement. Payne, 
in expectation of an unpleasant interview, repaired ac- 
cordingly to the appointed place, and instead of a hostile 
meeting, found Washington prepared to acknowledge 
his fault, and solicit pardon for the offence given in an 
unguarded moment. It is needless to say, that Payne 
witnessed with admiration, this triumph of principle over 
passion, and that a friendship was kindled in his bosom, 
which he did not cease to cherish as long as he lived. 

How noble and becoming was this conduct. It was 
especially admirable in a youthful soldier, whose very 
profession exposed him to peculiar temptations on such 
an occasion. How many would have been driven by 
the fear of reproach, and dread of unfavourable insinu- 
ations, to incur the hazards of a duel ; thus offering 
up at the shrine of honour the costly sacrifice of hu- 
man hfe. It w^as not possible that a man like Wash- 
ington, so endowed with moral courage and regard for 
virtue, should be moved by the fear of man to such 
a course. He dreaded not the charge of cowardice 
from the mouths of fools. In his own bosom he had 
its ample refutation. He was conscious of a fortitude 
which no dangers could shake. To display it in mur- 
dering a fellow-citizen was not his ambition. He had be- 
fore him the tented field and the enemies of his country, 
and he was pledged for the hazards of a mortal conflict 
in her defence. Here he was willing to show his cour- 
age, and lay down his Hfe. He would not do so to gra- 
tify revenge, or win applause from the vain. 

An incident attending the history of General Lafayette, 
during the Revolutionary War, afforded another occa- 



332 RELmOUS OPINIONS AND 

sion for evincing his principles in reference to this perni- 
cious custom. 

Having it in view to send a challenge to Lord Carlisle, 
President of the Board of British Commissioners, on ac- 
count of offensive language towards France, sanctioned 
by him in an address to Congress ; Lafayette, as in 
duty bound, wrote to General Washington, requesting his 
opinion of the propriety of the proposed course, and re- 
ceived the following reply : — 

" FisHKiLL, 4th Oct., 1778. 

^^ My Dear Marquis, 

" I have had the pleasure of receiving, by the hands 
of Monsieur de la Colombe, your favour of the 28th ulti- 
mo, accompanied by one of the 24th, which he overtook 
some where on the road. The leave requested in the 
former, I am as much interested to grant, as to refuse 
my approbation of the challenge proposed in the latter. 
The generous spirit of chivalry, exploded by the rest of 
the world, finds a refuge, my dear friend, in the sensi- 
bility of your nation only. But it is in vain to cherish 
it, unless you can find antagonists to support it ; and 
however well adapted it might have been to the times 
in which it existed, in our days it is to be feared, tliat 
your opponent, sheltering himself behind modern opin- 
ions, and under his present public character of commis- 
sioner, would turn a virtue of such ancient date into 
ridicule. Besides, supposing his liordship accepted your 
terms, experience has proved, that chance is often as 
much concerned in deciding these matters as bravery ; 
and always more than the justice of the cause. I would 
not, therefore, have your life by the remotest possibility 
exposed, when it may be reserved for so many greater 



CHARACTEE OF WASHIXGTOIf. 333 

occasions. His Excellency, the Admiral, 1 flatter my- 
self, will be in sentiment with me ; and, as soon as he 
can spare you, will send you to head-quarters, where I 
anticipate the pleasure of seeing you. " 

In a letter to the French Admiral, written some weeks 
after the above, he again refers to this subject : — 

'• The coincidence between your Excellency's senti- 
ments, respecting the Marquis de Lafayette's challenge, 
communicated in the letter w4th which you honoured 
me on the 20th. and those which I expressed to him on 
the same subject, is peculiarly flattering to me. I am 
happy to find that my disapprobation of this measure 
was founded on the same arguments, which, in your 
Excellency's hands, acquire new force and persuasion. 
I omitted neither serious reasoning nor pleasantry to 
divert him from a scheme, in which he could be so 
easily foiled, without having any credit given to him by 
his antagonist for his generosity and sensibiUty. He 
intimated, that your Excellency did not discountenance 
it, and that he had pledged himself to the principal offi- 
cers of the French squadron, to carry it into execution. 
The charms of vindicating the honour of his country 
were irresistible ; but, besides, he had in a manner com- 
mitted himself, and could not decently retract. I how- 
ever contirmed to lay my friendly commands upon him 
to renounce his project ; but I was well assured that, if 
he determined to persevere in it, neither authority nor 
vigilance would be of any avail to prevent his message 
to Lord Carlisle. And though his ardour overreached my 
advice and influence, I console myself with the reflec- 
tion, that his Lordship will not accept the challenge ; 
and that while our friend gains all the applause, which 



334 



RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 



is due to him for wishing to become the champion of 
his country, he will be secure from the possibility of 
such dangers as my fears would otherwise create for 
him. by those powerful barriers, which shelter his Lord- 
ship, and which I am persuaded he will not in the 
present instance violate. 

'' The report of Lord Carhsle's having proposed a 
substitute, reached me for the first time, in your Excel- 
lency's letter. If this is really the case, his Lordship has 
availed himself of one of the ways in which he was at 
liberty to waive the Marquis's defiance, and has probably 
answered it in a strain of pleasantry ; for the affair being 
wholly personal, his Lordship could not have made such 
a proposition seriously. Indeed I have every reason to 
think, that the matter has terminated as I expected ; for 
the Marquis was still in Philadelphia by my last accounts 
from thence." 

Thus decided was Washington in his opposition to the 
proposed combat. In his view, the principle was one, 
however sanctioned by the practice of barbarous ages, 
yet justly exploded by modern opinions, and rendered 
unreasonable by the inadequacy of the means to the con- 
templated end. He does not, indeed, dwell on the wrong- 
feelings which usually enter into such matters, for the 
case and the circumstances were not of the ordinary 
kind. The parties were already at war. They were 
arrayed against each other, like David and Goliath of 
old, on opposite sides of a great national contest. It was 
therefore more difficult to assign their true character, to 
the feelings which prompted Lafayette to seek the en- 
counter. Had they met in the field of battle, none would 
have condemned an effort made by the youthful friend 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 335 

of America, to destroy the enemy of her liberties. He 
Avould have been regarded as discharging a high duty 
to the cause in which he had embarked. Such, indeed, 
were not his avowed motives in the case before us. It 
was professedly to avenge an insult offered his own 
country. In this there was a needless exposure of his 
own life contemplated, together with a wanton risk of 
shedding the blood of another ; a risk which was not re- 
quired by the nature of the contest in which they were 
respectively engaged. And yet there was enough in 
the circumstances to perplex the subject in a degree, and 
by presenting it in a somewhat tangled form to the mind 
of Washington, serve to soften the judgment which would 
be expressed by him concerning the measure. He was, 
however, positive in his disapprobation. And if he was 
so, under such circumstances, when the antagonist was 
a declared enemy, and the end, the vindication of a 
national wrong, — what would have been his judgment 
in cases where the disagreement was between friends, 
and the offence private and trivial, if not altogether im- 
aginary. Would he not have visited with unqualified 
censure a proceeding, so causeless in its origin, and like- 
ly in its results to be attended by deplorable evils. A 
slight knowledge of the laws of his character, will suffice 
to assure us of his hostility to a thing so absurd in itsel 
and mischievous in its consequences. 



336 RELI^US OPINIONS AND 



CHAPTER XVn. 



HIS DEATH. 



It is not to the death, but to the life of the Christian, 
that we look for the proof of faith and test of character. 
So many accidents may arise to cloud his expiring mo- 
ments and deprive him of self-possession, that they can- 
not be regarded as furnishing, generally, a safe criterion of 
piety or hope. Death may suddenly overtake him ; or hi s 
disease may be attended by such unfavourable influ- 
ences, as to preclude the possibility of any decisive ex- 
hibition of thought or feeling. The mind may be ab- 
sorbed by extreme bodily pain, or delirium may entirely 
derange its action, extinguishing its lights and embarass- 
ing all its perceptions. Every thing in the closing 
scene may thus be indefinite and confused ; the believer 
travels through the shadow of death in a state of dim 
eclipse ; though he is in fact unchanged in principle, and 
as much an object of divine approbation and complacency, 
as in his brightest seasons of devout enjoyment and de- 
light. 

The Scriptures, while they record the piety and display 
the virtues of many distinguished worthies, never point 
us to their death-bed for proof of sincerity or confirm a- 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 337 

tion of excellence. It is to their lives that they mainly 
direct our attention for scrutiny and imitation. The 
servants of God have, in all ages, been more or less 
favoured with grace to help them in death, and some- 
times they have gloriously triumphed in the hour of 
dissolution. But the majority have rather adorned re- 
ligion by holy lives, than by happy deaths. The lan- 
guage of Scripture on this subject is, " Mark the perfect 
man, and behold the upright, for the end of that man is 
peace^ His death-bed is attended by peace, rather 
than rapture. This he may not always enjoy. But 
there is good ground for hope, that such will be the allot- 
ment of the righteous, in his last hour. Less than this 
is indeed often ordained by Him, who does all things after 
the counsel of his own will, but more also has been oc- 
casionally in mercy vouchsafed. 

A pious and useful writer* has the following observa- 
tions on this subject : 

'' Thus it is said, ' The righteous hath hope in his 
death.' The degrees of this hope vary. In some we see 
this hope contending with fear, and not always able to 
repel it. In some it produces a serenity in which the 
mind is stayed upon God, yet unattended with any 
higher feeling and pleasure ; while some possess and 
display the full assurance of hope ; and have an en- 
trance ministered unto them abundantly into the ever- 
lasting kingdom of their Lord and Saviour. 

******** 

'' Now we are not going to claim this joy unspeakable 
and full of glory; or even this perfect peace; or even 

* Jay. 

29 



338 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

this supportiug confidence, for all Christians in their 
dying moments. And yet we mean to say that the 
highest degree is attainable. 



" The useful death, however, is not that only which 
abounds with ecstasy and rapture; but also that in 
which an inferior degree of confidence is blended with 
patience under suflfering, submission to the will of God, 
humbleness of mind, penitence at the foot of the cross, a 
concern to recommend the Saviour's service and to pro- 
mote his cause. This, if it does not excite so much won- 
der and discourse, is more exemplary. A death, too, 
strikes us where we see a victory over the world ; when 
the individual is willing to depart, though not pressed by 
the infirmities and pains of age ; but in the midst of life : 
and leaving not a scene of penury and wretchedness 
behind, but every present attraction and agreeable pros- 
pect. We also prize a death preceded by a holy and 
consistent life." 

With these remarks we pass to the death of Washing- 
ton. Of that event we have but one account in any de- 
gree extended or minute. This is from the pen of Mr. 
Tobias Lear, for some years his private Secretary; and 
connected by marriage with a branch of his family. The 
account is here copied as leading to reflections appro- 
priate to the subject. 

" On Thursday, Dec. 12, 1799, the General rode out 
to his farms at about ten o'clock, and did not return till 
past three. Soon after he went out, the weather became 
very bad ; rain, hail, and snow falling alternately, with 
a cold wind. When he came in, I carried some letters 
to him to frank, intending to send them to the post-office. 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 



339 



He franked the letters, but said the weather was too 
bad to send a servant to the office that evening. I ob- 
served to him that I was afraid he had got wet ; he said 
no ; his great coat had kept him dry : but his neck ap- 
peared to be wet — the snow was hanging on his hair. 

" He came to dinner without changing his dress. In 
the evening he appeared as well as usual. A heavy fall 
of snow took plaoo on Friday, which prevented the Ge- 
neral from riding out as usual. He had taken cold, 
(undoubtedly from being so much exposed the day be- 
fore,) and complained of having a sore throat ; he had a 
hoarseness, which increased in the evening, but he made 
hght of it, as he would never take any thing to carry 
off a cold— always observing, ' let it go as it came.' In 
the evening, the papers having come from the post-office, 
he sat in the room with Mrs. Washington and myself, 
reading them till about nine o'clock ; and when he met 
with any thing which he thought diverting or interest- 
ing, he would read it aloud. He desired me to read to 
him the debates of the Yirginia assembly on the election 
of a senator and governour, which I did. On his retiring 
to bed he appeared to be in perfect health, except the cold, 
which he considered as trifling ; he had been remarkably 
cheerful all the evening. 

" About two or three o'clock on Saturday morning, he 
awoke Mrs. Washington, and informed her that he felt 
very unwell, and had an ague. She observed that he 
could scarcely speak, and breathed with difficulty, and 
she wished to get up and call a servant ; but he would 
not permit h r lest she should take cold. As soon as 
the day appeared, the woman, Caroline, went into the 
room to make a fire, and the General desired that Mr. 



340 RELIGIQIJS OPINIONS AND 

Rawlins, one of the overseers, who was used to bleeding 
the people, might be sent for to bleed him before the doc- 
tor could arrive. I was sent for— went to the General's 
chamber, where Mrs. Washington was up, and related 
to me his being taken ill between two and three o'clock, 
as before stated. I found him breathing with difficulty, 
and hardly able to utter a word intelligibly. I went out 
instantly, and wrote a line to Dr Plaek, and sent.it with 
all speed. Immediately I returned to the Generals 
chamber, where 1 found him in the same situation I had 
left him. A mixture of molasses, vinegar, and butter, 
was prepared, but he could not swallow a drop ; when- 
ever he attempted he was distressed, convulsed and al- 
most suffocated. 

'' Mr. Rawlins came in soon after sunrise and pre- 
pared to bleed him ; when the arm was ready, the Ge- 
neral, observing Rawlins appeared agitated, said, with 
difficulty, ' don't be afraid ;' and after the incision was 
made, he observed the orifice was not large enough : 
however, the blood ran pretty freely. Mrs. Washington, 
not knowing whether bleeding was proper in thfe Gene- 
ral's situation, begged that much might not be taken from 
him, and desired me to stop it. When I was about to 
untie the string, the General put up his hand to prevent 
it, and, as soon as he could speak, said ' more.' 

" Mrs. Washington still uneasy lest too much blood 
should be drawn, it was stopped after about half a pint 
had been taken. Finding that no relief was obtained 
from bleeding, and that nothing could be swallowed, I 
proposed bathing the throat externally with sal volatile, 
which was done ; a piece of flannel was then put round 
his neck. His feet were also soaked ir> warm water, but 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 341 

this gave no relief. By Mrs. Washington's request I 
despatched a messenger for Dr. Brown, at Port Tobacco. 
About nine o'clock Dr. Craik arrived, and put a blister of 
cantharides on the throat of the General, and took more 
blood, and had some vinegar and hot water set in a tea- 
pot, for him to draw in the steam from the spout. 

'• He also had sage tea and vinegar mixed, and used 
as a gargle, but when he held back his head to let it run 
down, it almost produced suffocation. When the mix- 
ture came out of his mouth some phlegm followed it, 
and he would attempt to cough, which the doctor en- 
couraged, but without effect. About eleven o'clock, Dr. 
Dick was sent for : Dr. Craik bled the General again ; 
no effect was produced, and he continued in the same 
state, unable to swallow any thing. Dr. Dick came in 
about three o'clock, and Dr. Brown arrived soon after ; 
when, after consultation, the General was bled again : 
the blood ran slowly, appeared very thick, and did not 
produce any symptoms of fainting. At four o'clock the 
General could swallow a little. Calomel and tartar 
emetic were administered without effect. About half-past 
four o'clock he requested me to ask Mrs. Washington to 
come to his bed-side, when he desired her to go down to 
his room, and take from his desk two wills which she 
would find there, and bring them to him, which she did. 
Upon looking at one, which he observed was useless, he 
desired her to burn it, which she did. After this was 
done, I returned again to his bed-side and took his hand. 
He said to me, 'I find I am going — my breath cannot 
continue long — I believed from the first attack it would 
be fatal. Do you arrange and record all my military let- 
ters and papers ; arrange my accounts, and settle my 

29* 



342 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

books, as you know more about tbem than any one else ; 
and let Mr. Rawlins finish recording my other letters, 
which he has begun.' He asked when Mr. Lewis and 
Washington would return? 1 told him that I believed 
about the twentieth of the month. He made no reply. 

" The physicians came in between five and six o'clock, 
and when they came to his bed-side. Dr. Craik asked him 
if he would sit up in the bed : he held out his hand to 
me and was raised up, when he said to the physician — 
* 1 feel myself going ; you had better not take any more 
trouble about me, but let me go off quietly ; I cannot last 
long.' They found what had been done was without ef- 
fect ; he laid down again, and they retired, excepting Dr. 
Craik. He then said to him, ' Doctor, I die hard, but I 
am not afraid to go ; I believed from the first I should 
not survive it ; my breath cannot last long.' The doctor 
pressed his hand, but could not utter a word ; he retired 
from the bed-side and sat by the fire absorbed in grief. 
About eight o'clock, the physicians again came into the 
room, and applied blisters to his legs, but went out with- 
out a ray of hope. From this time he appeared to breathe 
with less difficulty than he had done, but was very rest- 
less, continually changing his position, to endeavour to 
get ease. I aided him all in my power, and was grati- 
fied in beheving he felt it ; for he would look upon me 
with eyes speaking gratitude, but unable to utter a word 
without great distress. About ten o'clock he made several 
attempts to speak to me before he could effect it ; at 
length he said, ' I am just going. Have me decently 
buried, and do not let my body be put into the vault in 
less than two days after I am dead.' I bowed assent. 
He looked at me again and said, ' Do you understand 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 343 

me ?' I replied, ' Yes, Sir.' ' 'Tis well,' said he. About 
ten minutes before he expired, his breathing became 
much easier : he lay quietly : he withdrew his hand 
from mine, and felt his own pulse. I spoke to Dr. 
Craik, who sat by the fire ; he came to the bed-side. The 
General's hand fell from his wrist ; I took it in mine, 
and placed it on my breast. Dr. Craik placed his hands 
over his eyes ; and he expired without a struggle or a 
sigh." 

The above contains no doubt an accurate relation as 
far as it goes, of the circumstances attending the last sick- 
ness and death of Washington. That the account is 
not perfect, we believe, however, to be equally certain. 
We are assured on good evidence, that some things of 
interest were overlooked, or at least omitted by the 
writer. It is indeed a matter of regret that the indivi- 
duals who attended the Father of his Country in his 
last moments, were not such as would most readily en- 
courage the expression of his rehgious feelings, or care- 
fully record them when uttered. The author of the 
memoranda, it is known, had but little sympathy with 
the illustrious subject of his narrative in reference to 
religion ; nor had his other attendants, it is believed, any 
more, at least at that time, though professionally eminent 
and distinguished men. It was probably thought, that 
this was not the point of highest worth and dignity in his 
noble character ; and therefore not to be displayed with 
very special care and effort. This may explain in some 
measure the omission of interesting remarks and occur- 
rences, as being, from their nature, undervalued or mis- 
understood. Such facts, therefore, as are known to have 



344 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

transpired, in addition to those recorded by Mr. Lear, 
shall be here inserted for the gratification and instruction 
of our readers. 

One of the Rectors of Mount Vernon parish, already 
referred to, and who was at much pains to ascertain the 
most interesting events of Washington's life and death, 
informs us, in remarking on the latter occurrence, that he 
was once or twice heard to say, " I should have been 
glad, had it pleased God, to die a httle easier, but I doubt 
not it is for my good." 

On the same authority we learn tiij^llsome hours be- 
fore his departure, he made the request that every person 
would leave the room, that he might be alone for a short 
time." 

The same writer says, that in the moment of death, 
" he closed his eyes for the last time with his own 
hands — folded his arms decently on his breast, then 
breathing out ' Father of mejxies, take me to thy- 
self — he fell asleep." 

The biographer of Mrs. Washington gives the follow- 
ing facts : — 

'■'• The illness [of Washington] was short and severe. 
Mrs. Washington left not the chamber of the sufferer, 
but was seen kneeling at the bed-side, her head resting 
upon her Bible, which had been her solace in the many 

and heavy afflictions she had undergone The 

last effort of the expiring Washington, was worthy of 
the Roman fame of his life and character. He raised 
himself up, and casting a look of benignity on all 
around him, as if to thank them for their kindly atten- 
tions, he composed his limbs, closed his eyes, and fold- 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 



345 



ing his arms upon his bosom, the Father of his Country 
expired, gently as though an infant died ! 

'• The afflicted rehct could with difficulty be re- 
moved from the chamber of death, to which she returned 
no more, but occupied other apartments for the residue 
of her days." 

That the circumstances now detailed, may be duly 
appreciated, the habitual though tfulness ofWashington 
respecting his latter end, may not be unseasonably 
considered, in connexion with remarks to be added on 
the event itself. 

A favourite nephew, who was much at Mount Yer- 
non (one of those concerning whose return he made 
inquiries of Mr. Lear,) thus describes his last interview 
with his revered kinsman. 

'• During this, my last visit to the General, we walk- 
ed together about the grounds, and talked of various 
improvements he had in contemplation. The lawn 
was to be extended down to the river in the direction 
of the old vault, which was to be removed on accouiit 
of the inroads made by the roots of the trees, with which 
it is crowned, which caused it to leak. ' I intend to 
place it there,' said he, pointing to the place where the 
new vault now stands. ' First of all I shall make 
this change ; for after all 1 may require it before 
the rest:* 

" When I parted from him he stood on the steps of 
the front door, where he took leave of myself and 
another, and wished us a pleasant journey, as I was 
going to Westmoreland on business. It was a bright 
frosty morning ; he had taken his usual ride, and the 
clear healthy flush on his cheek, and his sprightly 



346 RELIGIQTS OPINIONS AND 

manner, brought the remark from both of us. tliat we 
had never seen the General look so well. 

" A few days afterwards, being on my way home in 
company with others, whilst we were conversing about 
Washington, I saw a servant rapidly riding towards 
us. On his near approach I recognized him as belong- 
ing to Mount Vernon. He rode up — his countenance 
told the story — he handed me a letter. Washington 
w^as dead." * 

In a private letter written on the Saturday before his 
death, when in perfect health, the following sentence 
occurs : — " For I must, if Mrs. Washington and 
myself should both survive another year^ find some 
place to which the supernumerary hands on this Estate 
could be removed." 

Thus habitually mindful of death, it may with reason 
be presumed, that he was not taken by surprise, 
when the enemy made his approach. Accordingly, it 
would appear that as soon as the disease became violent, 
he believed it would be fatal. He did not seek, through 
a fond desire of hfe, to delude himself with hopes of 
recovery ; but resigned himself at once to the will of 
God, requesting that no more trouble might be taken 
witii him, as he wished to die quietly. 

We learn from a memorandum of Mr. Lear that he 
said during the day : "Doctor, I die hard, hut 1 am 
not afraid to go.^^ In the view of death the pious 
monarch of Israel expressed himself in corresponding 
terms : " Though I walk through the valley of the sha- 

♦ LifeofWasliington, by J. K. Paulding. 2 Vol. pp. 196. 197. 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 347 

dow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with 
me, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." Whence 
the absence of fear from the bosom of Washington, 
whilst his body was racked with pain, and eternity 
opening before him? Was it bhndness of mind — a 
low estimate of sin— an inadequate sense of accounta- 
bility? Or was it rather the result of confidence in 
the mercy of God, assured to mankind through Him 
whom he was accustomed to regard as the " Divine 
Author of our blessed religion ? " We cannot doubt but 
that his remarkable composure, under so sudden a visit- 
ation, had its origin in a comfortable sense of the 
Divine goodness, and his own readiness for the great 
change which was at hand. That Saviour, who in 
pardoning sin deprives death of its sting, and the grave 
of its victory, was surely his dependance and source of 
his affectionate gratitude to ministering friends, and his 
humble resignation to the Divine will and pleasure. 

To what but an evangelical source can we refer the 
language used by him in reference to his dying pains ? 
" 1 should have been glad, had it pleased God, to 
die a little easier, but I doubt not it is for my 
good.''^ In what way was such an end to be answered ? 
How should his sufferings be for his good ? It was in 
one way only that they could be so. They could only 
exert a salutary influence on his spiritual state and 
prospects. The language of the Scriptures is : " Whom 
the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every 
son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God 
dealeth with you as with sons ; for what son is he whom 
the father chasteneth not. ' Again, it is written : " For 
our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh 



348 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of 
glory ; while we look not at the things which are seen, 
but at the things which are not seen ; for the things 
which are seen are temporal ; but the things which 
are not seen are eternal." With what other views 
than these, could the dying Washington regard his 
sufferings as useful to him? Without the light 
which religion shed upon the painful dispensation under 
which he was suffering unto death, the profoundest 
gloom would have enveloped his mind, and filled him 
with a sense of unraingled evil in the bitter cup, he 
was draining to the dregs. But Faith turned his 
eye from things seen, to things unseen ; and in the 
assurance that the first were " temporal," whilst the last 
were " eternal," enabled the possessor, though in much 
affliction of body, to cheer himself with the happy con- 
viction that " it was for his goody 

The request made by the sufferer "^o be left alone 
jor a short timej^ is not less pregnant with important 
meaning than the language just considered. Prayer 
had been a confirmed habit of his hfe. From youth to 
old age he had never omitted the duty. It had been a 
cherished resource with him in the many difficulties and 
trials of his varied course. The most serious of all trials 
now oppressed him. He was about to close his earthly 
race. The world was receding from his sight, and the 
solemn realities of Eternity rising on his view. In a 
short time the mystic tie which bound him to this world 
would be dissolved, and his future condition be unalter- 
ably fixed. What more natural, under such circum- 
stances, than prayer, to him who had always prayed 
before ! He would surely desire now, once more, before 



CHARACTEE OF WASHINGTON. 349 

he left the world, and appeared before the judgment- 
seat of Christ, to pour out his soul in earnest supplica- 
tion for himself, his friends, and all mankind. 

But why desire to be perfectly alone in order to this 
duty? Might he not have engaged therein with all 
necessary privacy, though others were near 7 Could 
any witness the secret thoughts and emotions of the 
heart ? However this may be, we yet know that the 
sick are always liable 1o interruptions from the tender 
solicitude and vigilant kindness of surrounding friends. 
Washington was so exposed, and no doubt desired that 
his last approach to the throne of grace should be made 
with due solemnity, and undisturbed. He was more- 
over much averse to every thing like ostentation in reli- 
gion, and knew he could not, in the act of prayer, 
escape observation in the presence of others. It had 
also been a custom with him in his secret devotions to 
pray audibly, as mentioned in a former part of this 
work. This may have had its influence with him, 
and rendered the absence of his attendants desirable. 

The presence of Mrs. Washington, and her attitude 
of mingled piety and grief, in the chamber of death, 
have been cited. "She left not the chamber of the suf- 
ferer, but was seen kneehng at the bed-side, her head 
reclining upon her Bible." In reference to this circum- 
stance, we are induced to inquire the end for which the 
Sacred Volume had been placed upon the dying bed of 
Washington. Was it for the calm perusal and consola- 
tion of the afflicted wife ? We think not. We should 
regard it most improbable that such should have been 
the object. In cases of dangerous sickness, the attention 
of near relatives is usually quite absorbed by sympathy 

'30 



^ 



350 &ELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND" 

with their suffering friends. The wife especially, where 
her husband is the victim of alarming disease, is on the 
alert in doing whatever may alleviate his pains and 
arrest the malady. To his condition and his wants she 
is all eye, all ear. Whilst he is in danger, she knows 
neither weariness or faintness of mind. In the case 
before us, sickness and death had entered the domestic 
circle with unwonted surprise. Great must have been 
the shock to a wife so affectionate and devoted as Mrs. 
Washington. If, therefore, she might have stolen a mo- 
ment for throwing herself before the Mercy-Seat, and 
begging for a life so dear to her, it is scarcely probable 
that she would have thought it her duty or could have 
commanded tranquillity enough, to engage in the work 
of reading and meditating in God's Word. It is far 
more likely that her conjugal zeal and tenderness would 
induce an attempt, in an hour so trying, to soothe the 
mind, and fortify the faith of her dying husband, by 
reading to him some of the precious promises and 
consoling truths of the Inspired Volume. Often had he, 
in the same chamber, and perhaps from the same Bible, 
read portions of the Divine Word, for their mutual com- 
fort and edification. She will now repay the debt of 
kindness when it is most required. To such an effort 
of devoted affection, painful as it may be, the heroism 
of female piety is often equal. It was so, we beheve, 
in the instance under consideration. 

As the hour of his departure drew near , every thing 
else being arranged and settled, and nothing left undone, 
the expiring chief turns his busy thoughts upon the 
funeral offices awaiting his mortal remains. Addressing 
Mr. Lear, his constant attendant, he said: — ''I am just 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 351 

going. Have me decently buried ; and do not let my 
body be put into the vault in less than two days after I 
am dead." 

The composure and serenity evinced in this direction 
is sufficiently apparent. But what did he mean by 
being ''decently buried 1 " He probably referred to the 
customary religious solemnities. There w^as little danger 
of any thing else being neglected. The circumstances 
under which he met his end precluded the possibility of 
those offices of the church, appropriate to the bed of death. 
He would not. however, have the funeral rites omitted ; 
regarding them as necessary to a ''decent" interment. 

The last words which Washington uttered were 
these:— "'T IS Well." Fearing that his last request 
was not comprehended, he asked if he was understood. 
Being answered in the affirmative, he said, "'T is well." 
Every thing now was finished. He had done with 
this w^orld ; he is ready to die ; and he closes his inter- 
course with earth in the language of satisfaction and 
contentment. Speaking as he did with great difficulty, 
it is probable that these were not mere words of course, 
uttered without particular meaning. He intended, most 
Ukely, to express his perfect acquiescence in his death, 
and every thing connected with it ; tbat his mind was 
at rest — that every thing w^as right— that all was well 
One cannot but remember in this connexion, a similar 
expression of humble submission under affliction in 
the case of a pious Scripture worthy. When death 
bereaved the Shunamite woman of her only child, 
she forthwith repaired to the Prophet Elisha at Mount 
CarmeL When he s^w her coming in haste, he sai4 



353 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

to his servant; ''Run now, I pray thee, to meet her, 
and say unto her, " Is it well with thee 7 Is it well 
with thy husband ? Is it well with the child ? " And 
she answered, " It is wellJ^ Though her child was 
dead, yet she says " It is well." It was the Lord's doing ; 
therefore she acquiesced, and commended the dispensa- 
tion as right in itself. And thus testified the renowned 
Sufferer of the land of Uz. When oppressed with a 
sore affliction "hp fell upon the earth and worshipped, 
and said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and 
naked shall I return thither : the Lord gave, and the 
Lord hath taken away ; blessed be the name of the 
Lord. In all this," adds the sacred writer, "Job sinned 
not, nor charged God foolishly." His pious resignation 
was virtually expressed in the words, '■ It is ivell.^^ 

Mr. Lear, in his description of the closing scene, has 
these words: — "Dr. Craik placed his hands over his 
eyes; and he expired without a struggle or a sigh." 
This statement is no doubt true, but it does not contain 
the whole truth. It Avas said and beheved at the time, 
that General Washington closed his own eyes ; and the 
writer is assured that such was the fact, since he heard 
it asserted by one who had the best opportunity of know- 
ing the certainty of it. The matter, indeed, is one of no 
great importance ; but serves to show that some things 
escaped the notice of Mr. Lear, or were thought too 
trivial for record by him. This circumstance, how- 
ever, is not without interest, as indicating a perfect self- 
possession and composure of mind. It was of a piece 
with the act nearly simultaneous, of feeling his own 
pulse. After this he lingered but a few moments ; — the 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 353 

curtain of time was drawn to him, and he passed quick- 
ly through the gates of Eternity, into the presence of 
his Maker and his Judge. 

He died on Saturday nighty 14th of December. On 
Wednesday the 18th, his body, attended by mihtary ho- 
nours and the offices of rehgion, was placed in the family 
vault. 

It has engaged the notice and remark of some, thaX 
no spiritual attendance or service distinguished the last 
sickness of Washington — that there was no minister of 
Christ with him, nor any of the offices of the church ad- 
ministered in aid of his faith and hope. Yv^hatever may 
have been his views or wishes in reference to this parti- 
cular rehgious privilege, it is very certain, that it would 
have been next to impossible for him, had he desired it, 
to have been gratified. He did not survive twenty-four 
hours from the time of his attack. Of that period there 
was not more than ten hours of day-light. It was also 
the depth of winter ; and the earth was covered with 
a heavy snow. Nor was there a clergyman within a 
less distance than nine miles of Mount Vernon. The 
General, moreover, was dying through a greater part of 
the day. He considered himself to be going before ot hers 
did. In these things alone, we think, a sufficient reason 
will be found for the alleged omission, no matter how 
great the importance attached to the observances in ques- 
tion. That they were not undervalued by the subject 
of these pages we have sufficient reason for believing. 
But the circumstances of his dying lot, rendered it im^ 
possible to evince his estimation of them, whatever that 
may have been.* 

♦ Tiie subjoined notice of the death of Mrs. Washin^tjon nva/ 

30- 



J554 REl^OUS OPINIONS AND 

Thus did the Father of his Country meet a sudden, 
though not an untimely end. He had hved to fulfil the 
exalted purposes of his creation. The measure of his 
distinguished usefulness was full. At a period of high 
political excitement and temptation was he taken away. 
In his removal, he left behind him a name of surpassing 
moral weight — as unimpaired in death, as in life. Since 
living, he conferred on others so much good ; and dying, 
bequeathed them so many blessings ; we cannot but cher- 
ish the grateful assurance, that the stroke which severed 
the mortal tie, dismissed him also from every care and 
pain, the heir of a happy immortality. In this belief 
and holy confidence, no doubt, did his chosen successor 
at Mount Vernon, cause the entrance of his lowly sepul- 
chre to be adorned with the animating declaration of 



not be here inappropriate. It is taken from the Alexandria Advertiser 
of May, 1802.— 

On Saturday the 22d of May, at 12 o'clock, P.M. J\Irs. Washington 
terminated lier well-spent life. Composure and resignation were uni- 
formly displayed during seventeen days depredations of a severe fever. 
From the commencement she declared that she Avas undergoing the 
final trial, and had long been prepared for her dissolution. She took 
the sacrament from Dr. Davis, (Rector of Christ Church, Alexandria,) 
imparted her last advice and benediction to her weeping relations ; and 
sent for a white gown, which she had previously laid by for her 
last dress. Thus, in the closing scene, as in all the preceding ones, 
nothing was omitted. The conjugal, maternal, and domestic dutiey 
had all been fulfilled in an exemplary manner. She was the worthy 
partner of the worthiest of men, and those who witnessed their con- 
duct could not determine which excelled in their different characters ; 
both were so well sustained on every occasion. They lived an honour 
and a pattern to their country, and are taken from us to receive the 
rewards promised to the faithful and just." 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 3oO 

the Divine Redeemer :— "I am the resurrection, and the 
hfe : he that beheveth in me, though he were dead, yet 
shall he hve : and whosoever liveth and beheveth in me, 
shah never die."— May the issues of the Last Day abun- 
dantly confirm the pious hopes of such as loved him in 
Ufe, and honoured him in death. 



356 RELIGI^^ OPINIONS AND 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

POSTHUMOUS HONOURS. 

The death of Washington, unexpected as it was by 
his fellow-citizens, produced a sensation among them, 
resembling the shock which agitates the members of a 
family circle, suddenly bereaved of a beloved parent. 
The melancholy tidings, borne as it were on the wings 
of the wind, spread with the velocity of a dark cloud, 
which, rising in some distant corner of the heavens, soon 
C3vers all the land with gloom and terror. One feeling 
pervaded every section of the country, followed by a con- 
sentaneous movement among the people, in manifesta- 
tion of an unfeigned sorrow for his death, and their high 
appreciation of his illustrious services and distinguished 
personal excellence. A system of public mourning was 
unanimously adopted by all classes of the community, in 
which. Congress, then in session, took the lead. By 
every suitable and appropriate method was the general 
feeUng declared, but chiefly by funeral eulogies and ora- 
tions, pronounced in all the principal towns and cities of 
the Union by eminent individuals, designated for the 
purpose by the public voice. 

In the various productions of the pen. to which these 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 35"^ 

appointments gave rise, we have many valuable testimo- 
nies to the excellent character, as well as briUiant deeds 
of the illustrious dead ;-testimonies the more miportant 
as proceeding from his cotemporaries. The writers were 
in many instances, the personal acquaintances of the de- 
parted chief, and all of them had either seen him, or had 
taken much interest in acquiring an accurate knowledge 
of his principles and conduct. 

It is here proposed to select from some of the addresses, 
as published at the time of their dehvery, those parts 
containing particular allusion to his moral and rehgious 
character. The value of the testimony, to our readers, 
will not be diminished by the fact, that the work which 
contains it, is nov/ out of print. 

The first oration delivered on the sad occasion, was by 
Gen. H. Lee. It was pronounced by request of, and m 
presence of, both Houses of Congress. We give the fol- 
lowing brief extract : — 

'' First in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts ot 
his countrymen, he was second to none in the humble 
and endearing scenes of private life. Pions, just, hu- 
mane, temperate and sincere; uniform, dignified, and 
commanding, his example was as edifying to all around 
him, as were the effects of that example lasting. 

i'- To his equals he was condescending, to his inferiors 
kind, and to the dear object of his affections, exemplarily 
tender. Correct throughout, vice shuddered in his pre- 
sence, and virtue always felt his fostering hand. The 
purity of his private character gave effulgence to his pub- 
lic virtues. 

"His last scene comported with the whole tenor ot 
his fife. Although in extreme pain, not a sigh, not a 



358 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

groan escaped him; and with undisturbed serenity he 
closed his well-spent life. Such was the man America 
has lost! Such was the man for whom our nation 
mourns ! " Delivered^ December 26, 1799. 

'' The private virtues of this great man, exactly cor- 
responded with those exhibited in public Ufe. 

" His mansion was the seat of hospitality. He was 
idolized by his domestics ; by his neighbours and friends, 
esteemed and venerated : and it is worthy of remark, 
that all who best knew him, particularly those who 
were more immediately attached to his person in 
the course of the war, and during his civil administra- 
tion, are among his warmest admirers and panegyrists. 

" There was a gravity and reserve, indeed, in his 
countenance and deportment, partly national, and partly 
the effect of habitual cares for the public weal ; but tliese 
were wholly unmixed with the least austerity or morose- 
ness. 

'' True native dignity was happily blended with tlie 
most placid mildness and condescension. He was a 
pattern of moderation, meekness, and self-possession. 
No person ever existed who had his passions under more 
complete control. 

" To crown all these moral virtues, he had the deepest 
sense of religion impressed on his heart ; the true found- 
ation-stone of all the moral virtues. This he constantly 
manifested on all proper occasions. He was a firm be- 
liever in the Christian religion ; and, at his first entrance 
on his civil administration, he made it known, and ad- 
hered to his purpose, that no secular business could be 
transacted with him on the day set apart by Christian^ 
for the worship of the Deity. 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 359 

'' Though he was from principle, a member of the 
Episcopal church, he was candid and hberal in the 
highest degree, not only to all sects and denominations 
of Christians, but to all religions, where the professors 
were sincere, throughout the world.* 

" He constantly attended the public worship of God 
on the Lords day, was a communicant at his table, and 
by his devout and solenm deportment, inspired every 
beholder with some portion of that awe and reverence for 
the Supreme Being, of which he felt so large a por- 
tion. 

'' For my own part, I trust I shall never lose the im- 
pression made on my own mind, in beholding, in this 
house of prayer, the venerable hero, the victorious leader 
of our hosts, bending in humble adoration to the God of 
armies, and great Captain of our salvation ! Hard and 
unfeehng, indeed, must that heart be, that could sus- 
tain the sight unmoved, or its owner depart unsoftened 
and unedified. 

•' Let the deist reflect on this, and remember that 
Washington, the saviour of his country, did not dis- 
dain to acknowledge and adore a greater Saviour, whom 
deists and infidels affect to slight and despise. 

"Thus have I attempted, with trembling hand and 
overburthened heart, to exhibit a few brief sketches of 



* That Washington was not indifferent about error in religion, as 
the above language might imply, let the following charge lo General 
Arnold, when that officer was about to march into Canada, attest : 

" I also give it in charge to you to avoid all disrespect of the religion 
of the country, and its ceremonies. Prudence, policy, and a trne 
Christian spirit will lead us to look with compassion tipon their errors 
without insulting them," &c. 



360 religious' opinions and 

the life, and to delineate a faint portrait of the character, 
of this unrivalled hero, sage, and Christian. None will 
think the picture overstrained, or charge me with flatter- 
ing the dead. Alas ! the admirable original is far re- 
moved above all earthly praise or censure. And tell 
me, my audience, have you ever heard or read of any 
character, ancient or modern, in all respects compar- 
able to this wonderful man's, whose loss has filled a 
world withteais? I could almost venture to pronounce, 
that all antiquity cannot boast a parallel ; unless, per- 
haps, the great legislator of the Jewish nation, may be 
deemed an exception. 

" In contemplating the lives and characters of these 
two eminent servants of the most High, I think I can 
trace no inconsiderable resemblance between them. Vvlll 
you indulge me, while I attempt a parallel between 
the leader of the armies of Israel, and the leader of the 
armies of America ? 

" Did the former appear destined by Heaven to make 
a nation great, independent, and happy ? So did the 
latter. Did the former give early presages of this, in de- 
fending his countrymen against lawless violence and 
oppression ? We have seen that the latter did the same. 
Was the former an invincible hero, a wise legislator, an 
able statesman, and an upright judge ? All these char- 
acters as truly belonged to the latter. Did the leader of 
the hosts of Israel dehver that nation from Egyptian bond- 
age ? So did Washington ours, from the galling yoke 
of British tyranny. Was the former an early and shin- 
ino- example of piety and all the moral virtues ? So was 
the latter. Did the former blend uncommon meekness 
with undaunted bravery, and the most persevering forti- 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 36 1 

tude? Our leader and guide, in the most eminent de- 
gree, did the same. 

" Was the meek prophet of Israel but once provoked 
to act with rashness at Sinai's base, and once to speak 
unadvisedly at the rock of Horeb? Our patient hero 
did only the latter once on the plains of Monmouth* 
Was the former often rashly censured by some of his 
perverse countrymen ? How far the parallel holds just 
here, let others determine. Was the former found faith- 
ful in all things? Equally so was the latter. After 
rescuing a nation from slavery, did the former lead them 
to the very borders of the promised land ? Washing- 
ton did more ; he put us into the full possession of the 
heritage of our fathers. Did the former demand or re* 
ceive no compensation for his invaluable services? So 
neither did the disinterested patriot of America. At the 
close of his days, was the Hebrew leader unimpaired and 
vigorous in all his faculties ? Our benefactor and father 
was equally so, except that his corporeal optics were dim- 
med by incessant labours and nocturnal vigils, while his 
mental vision, as if purged with ' euphrasy and rue,' 
was strengthened and refined. 

" In one instance the parallel seems to fail. The for- 
mer was blessed with offspring. Those tender pledges 
of connubial bliss were indeed denied to the latter ; yet 
weeping millions in him have lost a father, while he has 
obtained *a name ftir better than that of sons and of 
daughters.' 

" Finally, did that eminent leader of the chosen seed, 

having finished his course with joy, die honoured by 

God, beloved of man, and universally lamented ? So 

has the leader whose loss we are called upon this day 

31 



362 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

with heart-felt anguish to deplore." Pronounced at 
Portsmouth, N. H. Dec. 31, 1799, hy J.M. Sewall, 
Esq. 

" Enemies he had, but they were few, and chiefly of 
the same family with the man, who could not bear to 
hear Aristides always called the just. Among them all, 
I have never heard of one who charged him with any 
habitual vice, or even foible. There are few men of any 
kind, and still fewer of those the world calls great, who 
have not some of their virtues eclipsed by corresponding 
vices. But this was not the case with General Wash- 
ington. He had religion withont austerity ; dig- 
nity without pride ; modesty without diffidence ; courage 
without rashness; politeness without affectation; affa- 
bility without familiarity. His private character, as well 
as his public one, will bear the strictest scrutiny. He was 
punctual in all his engagements ; upright and honest 
in his dealings; temperate in his enjoyments; liberal 
and hospitable to an eminent degree ; a lover of order ; 
systematical and methodical in all his arrangements. 
He was the friend of morality and religion ; stead- 
ily attended on public worship ; encouraged and 
strengthened the ha?ids of the clergy. In all his pub- 
lic acts he made the most respectful mention of Provi- 
dence, and in a word, carried the spirit of piety with 
him, both in his private hfe and pubHc administration. 
He was far from being one of those minute philosophers, 
who believe that " death is an eternal sleep ;" or of those, 
who, trusting to the sufficiency of human reason, discard 
the light of Divine Revelation. 

******* 

" Possessing an ample unencumbered fortune ; happy 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 363 

at home in the most pleasing domestic connexions ; what 
but love of country could have induced him to accept 
the command of the American army in 1775 ? Could 
it be hatred of Great-Britain ? He then ardently loved 
her, and panted for a reconciUation with her. Could it 
be partiality for a miUtary life ? He was then in the 
41th year of his age, when a fondness for camps gene- 
rally abates. Could it be love of fame ? The whole tenor 
of his life forbids us to believe, that he was ever under 
the undue influence of this passion. Fame followed 
him, but he never pursued it. Could it have been the 
love of power ? They who JDest knew the undissembled 
wishes of his heart, will all tell you, with what reluctance 
he was dragged from a private station, and with what 
ineffable delight he returned to it. Had he not volun- 
tarily declined it, he would have died your President. 
Others have resigned high stations from disgust ; but he 
retired at rather an early period of old age, while his fa- 
culties were strong, and his health not much impaired, 
and when the great body of the people sincerely loved 
him, and ardently wished for his re-election. Could it 
have been the love of money that induced him to accept 
the command of the American army ? No such thing. 
When he was appointed Commander-in-Chief, Con- 
gress made him a handsome allowance ; but in his ac- 
ceptance of the command, he declared, that as no pecu- 
niary consideration could have tempted him to accept the 
arduous employment, at the expense of his domestic 
ease and happiness, he did not wish to make any profit 
from it." 

''• I will keep, " said he, " an exact account of my ex- 
penses ; these^ I doubt not, you will discharge, and that 



364 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

js all I desire," <fec. Delivered at Charleston, S. C 
Jan. 15, 1800, By David Ramsay, M.D. 

" With wliat unshaken firmness, with what unerring 
fidehty, he executed the fearful duties of his station, it is 
thy business. History ! to pronounce to future genera- 
tions ; thy work is already begun ; and when the story is 
complete, it will be the largest, and the most instructive 
volume, in thy archives. In vain may thy Plutarch and 
Polybius vaunt their Alexanders, their Hannibals, their 
Scipios and Cesars ; all their boasted virtues would but 
serve as an appendix to the biography of our Washing- 
ton. Faithful Cho ! thou who presidest in the registry 
of human transactions, thy book and thy trumpet, which 
have been wont to report the deeds of heroic murderers^ 
are now required for a new and more grateful employ- 
ment ; before thou writest the name of Washington, 
well mayest thou tear from thy records the pages on 
which are inscribed the inevitable follies and crimes of 
mankind ; w^ell mayest thou now exult ; there has once 
lived a man, who had power without ambition, glory 
without arrogance, fame without infatuation ; a man, 
who united the meekness of a Christian, with the influ- 
ence of a despot ; a man, whose heart did not sink by 
misfortune, and whose head became more steady by ele- 
vation ; a man, who saved a country by his valour, 
and could receive its praises without assumption. 

" It was the sentiment of a very profound writer, ' that 
all human advantages confer more power of doing evil 
than good.' To this opinion, founded on the degeneracy 
of our nature, common experience had given almost the 
authority of a maxim ; but the degrading principle, hke 
almost every other, deduced froin the frailty^, the imbeci- 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 365 

lity of man, was precisely reversed in the character of 
Washington. All his advantages, all his powers, ex- 
tensive as they were, and in other hands, destructive as 
they might have been, by a kind of supernatural agency, 
seemed to have been directed to but one and the best of 
purposes ; the welfare of his country and the glory of his 
God." Eulogy hy George Blake, Esq. 

" It is natural that the gratitude of mankind should 
be drawn to their benefactors. A number of these have 
successively arisen, who were no less distinguished for 
the elevation of their virtues, than the lustre of their ta^ 
lents. Of those, however, who were born, and who 
acted through life as if they were born, not for them- 
selves, but for their country and the whole human race, 
how few, alas ! are recorded in the long annals of ages ; 
and how wide the intervals of time and space that divide 
them ! In all this dreary length of way, they appear 
like five or six light-houses on as many thousand miles 
of coast ; they gleam upon the surrounding darkness 
with an inextinguishable splendour, like stars seen 
through a mist ; but they are seen like stars, to cheer, 
to guide, and to save. Washington is now added tq 
that small number. Already he attracts curiosity, like 
a newly discovered star whose benignant light will travel 
on to the world's and time's farthest bounds. Already 
his name is hung up by history, as conspicuously as if it 
sparkled in one of the constellations of the sky. 

•' By commemorating his death, we are called this 
day to yield the homage that is due to virtue ; to confess 
the common debt of mankind, as well as our own ; and 
to pronounce for posterity, now dumb, that eulogiunj 

31* 



366 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

which they will delight to echo ten ages hence, when 
we are dumb. 

" I consider myself not merely in llie midst of the citi- 
zens of this town, [Boston,] or even of the State. In 
idea, I gather around me the nation. In the vast and 
venerable congregation of the patriots of all countries, 
and of all enlightened men, I would, if I could, raise 
my voice, and speak to mankind in a strain worthy of 
my audience, and as elevated as my subject. But how 
shall I express emotions that are condemned to be mute, 
because they are unutterable ? I fell, and I was wit- 
ness, on the day when the news of his death reached 
us, to the throes of that grief that saddened every coun- 
tenance, and wrung drops of agony from the heart. Sor- 
row laboured for utterance, but found none. Every man 
looked round for the consolation of other men's tears. 
But what consolation ! Each face was convulsed with 
sorrow for the past ; every heart shivered with despair 
for the future. The man who, and who alone, united 
all hearts, was dead — dead, at the moment when his 
power to do good was the greatest, and when the aspect 
of the imminent public dangers seemed more than ever 
to render his aid indispensable, and his loss irreparable : 
irreparable; for two Washingtons come not in one 
age. 

" A grief so thoughtful, so profound, so mingled with 
tenderness and admiration, so interwoven with our na- 
tional self-love, so often revived by being diffused, is not 
to be expressed. You have assigned me a task that is 
impossible. 

'• ,0 if I could perform it ; if I could illustrate his 
principles in my discourse, as he displayed them in his 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 367 

life ; if I could paint his virtues as he practised them ; if 
I could convert the fervid enthusiasm of my heart into 
the talent to transmit his fame, as it ought to pass, to pos- 
terity ; I should be the successful organ of your will, the 
minister of his virtues, and, may I dare to say, the hum- 
ble partaker of his immortal glory. These are ambitious, 
deceiving hopes, and I reject them. For it is perhaps 
almost as difficult, at once with judgment and feeling, 
to praise great actions, as to perform them. A lavish 
and undistinguishing eulogium is not praise ; and to dis- 
criminate such excellent qualities as were characterestic 
and peculiar to him, would be to raise a name, as he 
raised it, above envy, above parallel — perhaps, for this 
very reason, above emulation. 

" Such a portraying of character, however, must be ad- 
dressed to the understanding, and therefore, even if it 
were well executed, would seem to be rather an analysis 
of moral principles, than the recital of a hero's exploits. 
It would rather conciliate confidence and esteem, than 
kindle enthusiasm and admiration. It would be a pic- 
ture of Washington, and like a picture, flat as the 
canvass ; like a statue, cold as the maible on which he 
is represented ; cold, alas ! as his corpse in the ground. 
Ah ! how unhke the man, late warm with living virtues^ 
animated by the soul once glowing with patriotic fires ! 
He is gone ! The tomb hides all that the world could 
scarce contain, and that once was Washington, ex- 
cept his glory ; that is the rich inheritance of his coun- 
try : and his example ; that let us endeavour, by de- 
lineating, to impart to mankind. Virtue will place it in 
her temple. Wisdom in her treasury." Pronoimced in 
Boston, before his Honour the Lieutenant- Governour^ 
the Council^ <^*c. on 8th Feb. 1800, By Fisher Ames. 



368 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

'• In Washington occurred a union rarely to be 
found, of greatness and goodness. Courage, wisdom, 
and magnanimity, tliose eminent qualities, which 
embrace the whole community in their operation, were 
not those only which distinguished his character. He 
was equally remarkable for the less splendid, though 
not less amiable virtues, which more immediately re- 
spected himself, his family and friends. However the 
abundance of his means, or his long and familiar inter- 
course with the world, might have exposed him to tempt- 
ation, he preserved his morals not only pure, but even 
unsullied, by the breath of suspicion. However the 
applause of mankind, and the wealth and honours which 
fortune no longer blind bestowed on him with a 
liberal hand, might have attached him to the world, 
he never forgot that he was mortal, and destined to 
another state of existence, hi him religion ivas a 
steady principle of action. It not only taught him 
fortitude in danger, and patience under misfortunes, but 
instructed him in the yet harder lesson of moderation, of 
even humility in the full swell of prosperity. How often 
does history inform us of commanders, transported with 
success, and grown giddy in its eddies, forgetting their 
dependence, and arrogating even divine honours ! As 
a counterpart to this, our annals may record the con- 
cluding passage of the general orders, published on the 
surrender of Yorktow^n ; '• Divine service shall be per- 
formed to-morrow, in the different brigades and divisions. 
The Commander-in-Chief recommends, that all the 
troops that are not upon duty, do assist at it with a 
gerious deportment, and that sensibility of heart, which 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 369 

the recollection of the surprising and particular inter- 
position of Providence in our favour, claims." 

" That Washington was affectionate and endearing 
in his conjugal relation, the anguish of his widowed 
wife sufficiently evinces That he was com- 
passionate and humane, is honourably told by the tears 
of his disconsolate domestics. That he was benevolent, 
his emancipated slaves will long remember, and even 
their posterity acknowledge with gratitude." — Pro- 
nounced at Boston, February 11th, 1800. By J. 
BiGELow, Esq. 

'' These expressions of his sentiments and views in- 
dicate the- character which he would probably prefer to 
sustain ; not merely that of a warrior, or statesman ; 
but as the enlightened friend of man, and all his best 
enjoyments: the advocate of religion : the supporter 
of virtue : and, to adopt the language of your char- 
ter, the cultivator or patron of "every art and science 
which may tend to advance the interest, dignity 
and happiness, of a free, independent, and virtuous 

people." 

******* 

"In studying the character of Washington, we 
cannot refrain inquiring, by what principles or motives 
he was thus uniformly swayed to the practice of virtue, 
and the steady pursuit of excellence. Much, doubtless, 
was due to his habitual respect for the approbation 
and esteem of his fellow-citizens : and in attributing 
the formation of his character and fame, in any degree, 
to this source, we pay a just tribute to his countrymen ; 
a tribute, he was ever prompt to bestow. 



370 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

" To this motive was added that dehcate and refined 
Moral Sense, which is the guardian and protectress 
of all the virtues : which forbids committing any thing 
base or unworthy ; any thing unbecoming the dignity 
of man, a due reverence for himself, and the rank he 
holds in the scale of rational beings. 

" But above all, he was influenced by the more perma- 
nent and operative principle of religion : by the firm and 
active persuasion of an All-Seeing, All-Powerful 
Deity: by the high consciousness of future accounta- 
bility, and the assured hope and prospect of immortality. 
Contrasting his sublime example, founded on such a 
basis, with the tribe of infidel heroes who have lately 
appeared on the bloody theatre of Europe, we cannot 
but apply the impressive language of a sober and intel- 
ligent heathen : ' Earthquakes, lightning, storms and 
torrents have an amazing power : but as for Justice 
nothing participates of that^ without thinking and rea- 
soning upon God.' 

" Sound science will ever be found promotive of ra- 
tional religion, and the solid interests of the common, 
wealth : but there is a leprosy of false knoicledge, 
which is akin to impiety, and saps the compacted fabric 
of social order. It is thus in the pohtical system. The 
mild and lovely form of ti^tie liberlij, is opposed by a 
harlot blustering counterfeit. 

** #**#*# 

'' False philosophy is indeed the deceitful, Delilah which 
will enervate and corrupt the strongest establishments, 
and deliver them, nerveless and resistless, to the Phi- 
listines of Infidelity^ the Lords of Anarchy and 
Misrule : but sound Science, with rational Religion, 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 371 

will be the firm supporters of the Magistracy to the 
latest time ; as Aaron and Hur sustained the hands of 
Moses, until the going down of the sun?^ — Pro- 
nounced at Boston, February 19^A, 1800, before the 
American Academy of Arts and Sciences, By 
John Davis, Member of the Academy, ^c. 

"This solemn assembly, and these sable, ensigns pro- 
claim no common grief Already has every American 
wept ; aheady have the sad funeral processions moved ; 
and already have the virtues and services of Washing- 
ton, been celebrated from the pulpit and from the rostrum. 

" Why are we again assembled ? And why is the 
tomb uncovered ? It is that we may all take another 
look. This is the birth-day of the beloved man. Was 
there no other which could have been chosen than that 
on which we have so frequently rejoiced ? It is kindly 
intended to give indulgence to our sorrow ; to teach us 
that no character is exempt from the stroke of death ; 
and especially to induce our submission to the will, and 
our adoration of, that Almighty Behig who ' gave and 
who hath taken away.' 

*' We find from the earliest records of time, that the 
practice has been usual in all ages, and in all nations, 
of honouring those who were distinguished by their 
excellence, and were esteemed public blessings. Tro- 
phies have been decreed to them while living, and at 
their decease, their bodies have been sometimes em- 
balmed ; monuments, elegies, and funeral orations have 
perpetuated the memory of their honourable deeds. 

'• This has a happy tendency to insure a noble and 
virtuous conduct, and to excite the imitation of others. 
The love of fame, when subordinate to the general good 



872 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

of mankind, is inseparable from him who is truly great ; 
and he carries his views beyond the grave, to the reward 
which posterity shall bestow. Were there then no other 
reason for praising the illustrious dead, this would be 
sufficient. 

'' But there is an obligation of still higher moment. 
Eminent men are qualified for their work by God. 
They are his servants. In honouring them we honour 
him. It is true that the heathen glorified not God, but 
substituted creatures in his room ; and there is danger 
that even we, with the clearest revelation, may be 
guilty of idolatry in not hfting up our hearts to Him 
from whom ' cometh down every good gift, and every 
perfect gift.' Let us ascribe the glory to God, and we 
may safely extol the man whose loss, this day, we 
deplore. 

" America claims as her own, one who was jvistly the 
admiration of the world. And shall she be silent in his 
praise ? Perhaps silence would have best expressed the 
merits of him who is beyond all eulogy. The language 
of mortals can, with difficulty if ever, reach so noble a 
theme. The name is above what Grecian or Roman 
story presents, and it would require more than Grecian 
or Roman eloquence to do it justice. One advantage 
indeed it possesses, that hardly any thing can be said 
which will be thought extravagant ; and what would in 
other cases be deemed flattery, will sink far below the 
conceptions of the public mind. Flattery was ever con- 
founded in the presence of Washington, nor will it 
dare to approach his ashes. That humility, however, 
which was the constant ornament of his virtues, should 
not now obstruct the oflferings of a feeling and grateful 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 373 

people at his shrine. Nay, they rush with greater eager- 
ness to testify their sense of his transcendent and inestim- 
able worth. 

" Though naturally reserved, yet he was not haughty. 
Though those who approached him felt his superi- 
ority, yet he did not assume. He blended dignity and 
condescension. The greatest and the smallest object re- 
ceived from him a due attention. He never betrayed 
any symptoms of vain-glory. When he was once asked, 
whether he had ever said, as was reported, ' that he 
knew no music so pleasing as the whistling of bullets,' 
he answered, ' If I said so, it was when I was young.'* 
Learning to estimate justly all human glory, and ma- 
tured by experience accustomed to lofty conceptions, and 
moving always in the important spheres of hfe ; impress- 
ed with a sense that he derived all from God, and that 
all should be devoted to his service ; his deportment was 
noble, equally removed from the supercilious and the 
vain. Some men have been great at one time, and des- 
picable at another ; some men have performed a single 
great action, and never rose to the like again ; but to 
him great actions seemed common. Some men have 
appeared great at the head of armies, or when surrounded 
by the trappings of power, and Httle when stripped of 
these, and alone ; some men have withstood the storms 
of adversity, and been melted by the sunshine of pros- 
perity ; some men have possessed splendid public talents, 
and disgraced these by sordid private vices : but it is dif- 
ficult to determine when and where Washington shone 

♦ Gordon's History. 

32 



374 ilELI^US OPINIONS ANtJ 

the brightest. It can only be said that he was uniform- 
ly great. 

" One part of his character remains to be mentioned, 
and which crowns the whole ; that is, his reverence for 
the Sabbath, his acknowledgment of a Providence, and 
his attendance upon the institutions of religion. In all 
his public documents, God is honoured ; after deliver- 
ances or victories, thankgivings were by his order offered ; 
and it is well known that he invariably attended divine 
worship. The foolish and wicked cant of exalting human 
reason, and ascribing all to fortune, received from him 
no countenance. Neither in the parade of military life, 
nor in the cares of civil administration ; neither in a 
state of depression, nor amidst tJie intoxicating sweets 
of power and adulation ; did he forget to pay homage 
to the " MOST HIGH, who doeth according to his will in the 
army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth." 

"It is not wholly inprobable that the fate of the 
unhappy Braddock, who, it is said, expressed himself in 
a boasting and profane manner, left on the mind of 
young Washington an indelible impression. ' Thus 
said the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wis- 
dom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might ; let 
not the rich man glory in his riches : but let him that 
glorieth, glory in this, that he understandeth and know- 
eth me, that I am the Lord which exercise loving-kind- 
ness, judgment and righteousness in the earth.'* 

"Hear the testimony which Washington bore for 
religion on his resignation of the chief-magistracy : ' Of 
all the dispositions and habits which lead to poHtical 

* Jer. ix. 23, 24. 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 



375 



prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable sup- 
ports/ (fee* Incomparable man ! He devoted his time, 
his talents, and his labours to our service, and he has 
left his advice and his example, to us, and to all genera- 
tions ! 

" There was in him that assemblage of qualities which 
constitutes real greatness ; and these qualities were 
remarkably adapted to the conspicuous part which he was 
called to perform. He was not tinsel, but gold ; not a 
pebble, but a diamond ; not a meteor, but a sun. Were 
he compared with the sages and heroes of antiquity, he 
would gain by the comparison ; or rather he would be 
found to be free from the blemishes, and to unite the 
exellencies of them all. Like Fabius he was prudent ; 
like Hannibal he was unappalled by difficulties ; like 
Cyrus he conciliated affection ; like Cimon he was fru- 
gal ; like Scipio he was chaste ; like Philopoemen he 
was humble ; and like Porapey he was successful. If 
we compare him with characters in the Sacred Records, 
he combined the exploits of Moses and Joshua, not only 
by conducting us safely across the Red Sea, and through 
the wilderness, but by bringing us into the promised 
land ; like David he conquered an insulting Goliath, 
and rose to the highest honours from a humble station ; 
like Hezekiah he ruled ; and like Josiah at his death, 
there is a mourning ' as the mourning of Hadadrimmon 
in the valley of Megiddon.' Nor is the mourning con- 
fined to us, but extends to all the wise and good who 
ever heard of his name. The Generals whom he op- 
posed, will wrap their hilts in black, and stern Cornwal- 
lis drop a tear. 

♦ See page 74, 



376 RELIG^US OPINIONS AND 

'■ He was honoured even in death. After all his fa- 
tigues, and though he had arrived near to the hmit fixed 
for human life, yet his understanding was not impaired, 
nor his frame wasted by any hngering disease. We did 
not hear of his sickness, until we heard that he was no 
more. His acceptance of the office of Lieutenant-Gen- 
eral of the armies, is a proof that ' Save my country, 
Heaven,' was his last. What would have been to most 
men the meridian of glory, was the setting sun of Wash- 
ington. With an increased orb, its parting rays 
paint the clouds with brighest colours, and illumine all 
the mountain tops. In the full possession of his reason, 
and without fear of death, which he had often faced in 
the field, he breathed his mighty soul into the hands of 
his Almighty and merciful Creator. 

" Hark ! — a message from the tomb ! 

" ' Citizens of America, 

'• ' You are assembled to express your gratitude for ser- 
vices which you believe to have been rendered by me, 
and to testify your sorrow for my death. Next to the 
testimony of a good conscience, it was ever the summit 
of my wishes to deserve well of my country. But let 
your gratitude ascend to Him who fashioned me as I 
was, who kept me under his holy protection, and who 
hath in his sovereign will, recalled me from the earth. 
My career was much longer than might have been ex- 
pected. It was anxious ; it was laborious ; it was weari- 
some — I now rest. 

" ' Let the love you bore me, the confidence you were 
always pleased to repose in me, and the regard you now 
profess for my memory, be shown in following those ad- 
monitions which I have given you, and which I endeav- 



CHAl^ACTER OF WASHINGTON. 377 

cured to enforce by my example. Banish party inter- 
est and party spirit. Suffer no foreign influence to affect 
your councils. Give support and stability to your gov- 
ernment. Honour and reward your public officers. Pay 
the strictest attentio7i to the injunctions of religion 
and morality. Then under the propituous smiles of 
Heaven, you will long be a flourishing and happy 
people.' " 

" Thus methinks, our deceased father addresses us 
this day.''— Delivered Feb. 22d, 1800, in the City 
of New- York, By William Linn, D.D. 

"Of his virtues it may be said, that they were the 
fruits of much cultivation bestowed on a good soil. 

" He very early acquired the power of submitting his 
passions to his reason. He practised without effort, and 
almost without merit, the habitual qualities of tempe- 
rance and sobriety. He was eminently distinguished for 
prudence, moderation, and equanimity of soul. He de-. 
served the singular commendation, that instead of being 
corrupted by success, his virtues always expanded with 
his fortune : the season of his prosperity was that of his 
moderation. 

'• Perhaps no man ever shared more largely in the 
pubHc esteem, or received more flattering marks of dis- 
tinction ; but was there ever one, who deserved them bet^ 
ter, or appreciated them more justly ? His popularity 
was earned by virtuous deeds, and it was spent in the 
service of virtue. 

" In despatch of business, his dihgence was indefati- 
gable. He was remarkable for observing the most per- 
fect order, without too rigid adherence to method, in all 
his concerns, pubhc and private. This nice arrangement 



378 RELlGIOtrS OPINIONS AND 

of labour, and exact distribution of time, enabled him to 
transact an uncommon portion of business, and still left 
him leisure to enjoy the innocent pleasures of life. With 
him, every hour had its duty, and every duty its hour. 
How delightful that he could say at the close of his life, 
1 have left fiothing undone. 

"His easy fortune, increased by his industry and active 
labours, afforded him the means, which he never failed 
to improve, of displaying his beneficence and generosity 
to those who had any claims on his bounty, or who came 
within the enlarged circle of his acquaintance. 

" To act altogether from pure benevolence, or regard 
to the good of others, seems hardly compatible with 
human nature. The tenor of his whole life evinced, 
that neither vanity nor interest impelled him to action. 
Vanity it could not be ; for who so modest and unassum- 
ing ? It could not be interest ; for though he decUned 
no labour, he refused all pecuniary compensation. If 
ambition fired his soul, it was a glorious ambition, for it 
saved his country. 

" The person as well as the mind of our de- 
parted Chief, was enriched by nature with her choicest 
endowments. His stature was lofty, his countenance 
dignified, his deportment graceful, and his manners libe- 
ral, courteous, and refined. 

" The most singular trait in the character and fortunes 
of this great man, remains to be mentioned ; he was 
neither capable of envy himself, nor the object of that 
passion in others. Can their be higher evidence of liis 
superior excellence? His character was considered a 
kind of public property ; every member of the com- 
munity had an interest in preserving it inviolate. 



CHASACTER OF WASHINGTON. 379 

" Popular applause, of all the gifts in the power of for- 
tune to bestow, the most fickle and precarious, to him 
was constant, stead}^, and uniform as his virtues. 

" Of his patriotism I need not speak. All virtues have 
their extremes. There is a patriotism too narrow ; and 
the philosophy of the present day teaches one much too 
broad ; it embraces all nations. There is also a love of 
hberty, which is disorderly and tumultuous. It is suffi- 
cient to say, that the patriotism of our Washington, 
was an ardent love of his own country ; and the hberty 
he adored was that of which government is the guardian. 

" I have reserved for the last to speak of the religious 
character of the deceased ; because, Uke the key-stone, 
which completes the arch, it is this which completes the 
lustre of his unrivalled name. 

" We have seen thai; his private life was marked, in an 
eminent degree, with the practice of the moral virtues. 
The maxims he prescribed for himself, as the basis of 
his political conduct, will bear the strictest scrutiny, 
when brought to the test of reason and morality. 

" He taught, (and his own practice corresponded wuth 
his doctrine,) that the foundation of national policy can 
be laid only in the pure and immutable principles of 
private morality : that there exists in the economy of na- 
ture an indissoluble union between duty and advantage ; 
between genuine maxims of an honest and magnani- 
mous policy, and the solid rewards of public prosperity 
and felicity : that the propitious smiles of Heaven, can 
never be expected on a nation, that disregards the eternal 
laws of order and right, which Heaven itself has or- 
dained. 

" In our country there are few who will hesitate to 



380 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

acknowledge the obligations we are under, to make the 
concerns of another world the governing principle of our 
lives in this ; and that Christianity is the highest orna- 
ment of human nature. Washington practised upon 
this belief. He publicly professed the religion in which 
he was educated ; and his life affords the best evidence 
of the purity of his principles, and the sincerity of his 
faith. 

" He had all the genuine mildness of Christianity with 
all its force. He was neither ostentatious nor ashamed 
of his Christian profession. He pursued in this, as in 
every thing else, the happy mean between the extremes 
of levity and gloominess^ indifference and austerity. His 
religion became him. He brought it with him into office, 
and he did not lose it there His first and his last offi- 
cial acts, (as did all the intermediate ones,) contained an 
explicit acknowledgment of the over-ruling providence 
of the Supreme Being ; and the most fervent supplica- 
tion for his benediction on our government and nation. 

" Without being charged with exaggeration, I may be 
permitted to say, that an accurate knowledge of his life, 
while it would confer on him the highest title to praise, 
would be productive of the most.sohd advantage to the 
cause of Christianity. 

" There is by the irrevocable decree of Heaven, a pe- 
riod fixed to human greatness and human glory. The 
time had now arrived, that Washington must die. He 
could not, in the day of death, disgrace a character sup- 
ported by virtue and fortitude. He who had lived with- 
out guilt, must die without remorse. But I reckon it a 
public blessing, and deserving our thanks to Almighty 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 381 

God, that he was called to this last encounter, in the full 
possession and vigour of his mental powers. Highly 
favoured of Heaven, to him it was given, to meet the last 
enemy of man with the same firmness, the same forti- 
tude, and the same reliance on heavenly aid, with which, 
during his life, he met the foes of his country. And who 
can doubt of his success in this last engagement 1 At 
this awful moment he had the singular felicity, resulting 
from a review of his well-spent life, that not a word had 
escaped his tongue, which a wise man might not utter ; 
not a sentence dropped from his pen, which, dying, he 
could wish to blot ; not an action performed, which pru- 
dence could condemn, nor one omitted which duty had 
enjoined."* — Delivered at Exeter^ N. H. Feb. 22. 
1800. By J. Smith, Esa. 

"Sixty-Eight years are this day completed since 
the birth of George Washington, and this day we 
are assembled in the temple of God to pay the tribute 
of affection and respect due to the memory of the excel- 
lent citizen, the friend, the Father of his Country. 

" Behold ! this day, and at this moment, thousands 
and thousands, in their numerous assemblies over this 
extended empire, are commemorating the exalted virtues, 
the heroic deeds of our deceased patriot ; and pouring 
out their souls to the Almighty, in the keenness of 
sorrow, for this irreparable loss, this national calamity, 
this visitation of the Most High. 

'' America, covered with the mantle of grief, droops 
over the grave of her departed father, and the funeral 

* It is more than probable that Washington himself -would not have 
concurred in the justice of panegyric like the above. Such perfection 
does not fall to the lot of humanity. 



383 RELK^pUS OPINIONS AND 

pall of Columbia's pride, like a dark and ominous cloud, 
overspreads our land. 

" Man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go 
about the streets. O ! fleeting, transitory man, learn 
moderation and wisdom from a sense of thy fugitive 
state ! Now, indeed, is a time to weep : to restrain the 
bursting emotion, would be false fortitude. Let the heart 
seek its relief in free effusions of just and natural sorrow. 
Washington was our companion in all the vicissitudes 
of fortune ; he was the solace of his country ; he shared 
in all her joys, and he participated in all her misfortunes- 

" Although our Washington was attached to life by 
an ample store of earthly felicity, and by all the natural 
feelings of humanity, yet he was raised above all weak 
and unmanly regret at parting with it. When Provi- 
dence gave the signal for his removal, with composed 
resolution and an undisturbed mind, he bade adieu to the 
world : What Heaven had made necessary, Washing- 
ton complied with cheerfully. Although he was inter- 
rupted in the midst of his settled designs ; although he 
was broken off in the midst of the wise plans he had 
formed of being useful to his country ; all these he left 
with resignation and tranquillity in the hands of the Fa- 
ther of mercies, to whom he had ever been accustomed to 
look up— that Divine Goodness which had watched over 
him in all the perils of hfe ; that all- wise Being, who had 
governed the world graciously and wisely before he exist- 
ed, and who, he knew, would continue to govern it with 
equal benignity and wisdom, when he should be in it no 
more. 

'^ The time of his departure was not of our choice; 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 383 

nor his own ; ])ut it was the time appointed by Him 
who cannot err. Honourable age is not that which 
standeth in length of time ; but wisdom is gray hairs to ct 
man, and an unspotted life is old age. He who is unwil- 
ling to submit to death, when Heaven decrees it, deserves 
not to have lived. When our Washington beheld his 
friends and relatives around him, his heart melted but 
was not overpowered ; the retrospection of a virtuous life, 
the testimony of a good conscience, and a hope of future 
felicity, gave him composure and fortitude ; and in the 
midst of these agonies, when the dust is about to return 
to its dust, with firmness and dignity, he resigned the 
spirit to God who gave it. He had served his country 
with fidelity ; he had walked piously before his God ; 
he had completed his career of glory and virtue ; he de- 
parted with the blessings of the whole American people, 
and the tears of grateful millions have embalmed his 
memory. 

How respectable is such a conclusion of human life ! 
thus to quit the stage, honoured and revered by his 
country, supported by the presence of his Creator, and 
enjoying, till the last moments of reflection, the pleasing 
thoughts that he had not lived in vain." — Delivered 
at All Saint's Parish, South Carolina, on the 
22d of Feb. 1800. By Doctor Joseph Blyth. 

" The name of Washington, connected with all 
that is most brilliant in the history of our country, and in 
human character, awakens sensations which agitate 
the fervors of youth, and warm the chill bosom of age. 
Transported to the times w^ien America rose to repel her 
wrongs, and to claim her destinies, a scene of boundless 
grandeur bursts upon our view. Long had her filial 



384 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

duty expostulated with parental injustice. Long did 
she deprecate the rupture of those ties which she had 
been proud of preserving and displaying. But her hum- 
ble entreaty spurned, she transfers her grievances 

from the throne of earth to the throne of Heaven ; and 
precedes by an appeal to the God of judgment, her ap- 
peal to the sword of war^ 

'' At issue now with the mistress of the seas ; unfur- 
nished with equal means of defence ; the convulsive 
shock approaching ; and every evil omen passing before 
her, one step of rashness or of folly may seal her doom. 
In this accumultation of trouble, who shall command 
her confidence, and face her dangers, and conduct her 
cause ? God ; whose kingdom ruleth over all, prepares 
from afar the instruments best adapted to his purpose. 
By an influence which it would be as irrational to dis- 
pute as it is vain to scrutinize, he stirs up the spirit of 
the statesman and the soldier. Minds on which he 
has bestowed the elements of greatness, are brought, by 
his providence, into contact with exigencies which rouse 
them into action. It is in the season of effort and of 
peril that impotence disappears, and energy arises. The 
whirlwind which sweeps away the glow-worm, uncovers 
the fire of genius, and kindles it into a blaze, that irra- 
diates at once both the zenith and the poles. 

" But among the heroes who sprung from obscurity, 
when the college, the counting-room, and the plough 
teemed with 'thunderbohs of war,' none could, in all 
respects, meet the wants and the wishes of America. 
She required, in her leader, a man reared under her 
own eye ; who combined with distinguished talent, a 
character above suspicion ; Avho had added to his phy- 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 385 

sical and moral qualities the experience of diffiicult ser- 
vice ; a man who should concentrate in himself the 
public affections and confidence ; who should know 
how to multiply the energies of eVery other man under 
his direction, and to make disaster itself the means of 
success — his arm a fortress, and his name a host. Such 
a man it were almost presumption to expect ; but such 
a man all-ruling Heaven had provided, and that man 
was Washington. 

" Pre-eminent already in worth, he is summoned to 
the pre-eminence of toil and danger. Unallured by 
the charms of opulence ; unappalled by the hazard of 
a dubious warfare ; unmoved by the prospect of being 
in the event of failure, the first and most conspicuous 
victim, he obeys the summons, because he loves his duty. 
The resolve is firm, for the probation is terrible. His 
theatre is a world ; his charge, a family of nations ; 
the interest staked in his hands, the prosperity of mil- 
lions unborn in ages to come. His means, under aid 
from on high, the resources of his own breast, with the 
raw recruits and irregular supplies of distracted Colonies. 
O, crisis worthy of such a hero ! Followed by her little 
bands, her prayers and her tears, Washington espouses 
the quarrel of his country. As he moves on to the con- 
flict, every heart palpitates, and every knee trembles. 
The foe, alike valiant and veteran, presents no easy con- 
quest, nor ought inviting, but to those who ha dconsecia. 
ted their blood to the public weal. The Omnipotent, who 
allots great enjoyment as the meed of great exertions, had 
ordained that America should be free, but that she should 
learn to value the blessing by the price of its acquisition. 
She shall go to a ' wealthy place,' but her way is 'through 

33 



386 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

fire and through water.' Many a generous chief must 
bleed, and many a gallant youth sink at his side, into 
the surprised grave ; the field must be heaped with slain ; 
the purple torrent roll, ere the angel of peace descend 
with his ohve. It is here, amid devastation, and horror, 
and death, that Washington must reap his laurels? 
and engrave his trophies on the shield of immortality .... 
True, he suffered, in his turn, repulse and even defeat. 
It was both natural and needful. Unchequered with 
reverse, his story would have resembled rather the fic- 
tions of romance, than the truth of narrative ; and had he 
been neither defeated nor repulsed, we had never seen 
all the grandeur of his soul. He arrayed himself in 
fresh honours by that which ruins even the great — vicis- 
situde. He could not only subdue an enemy, but, 
what is infinitely more, he could subdue misfortune. 
With an equanimity which gave temperance to victory, 
and cheerfulness to disaster, he balanced the fortunes 
of the State. In the face of hostile prowess; in 
the midst of mutiny and treason ; surrounded with 
astonishment, irresolution, and despondence, Washing- 
ton remained erect, unmoved, invincible. Whatever 
ills America might endure in maintaining her rights, 
she exulted that she had nothing to fear from her Com- 
mander-in-chief The result justified her most sanguine 
presages. That invisible hand which girded him at 
first, continued to guard and to guide him through the 
successive stages of the revolution. Nor did he account 
it a weakness to bend the knee in homage to its supre- 
macy, and prayer for its direction. This was the armour 
of Washington : this the salvation of his country. 
" The hope of her reduction at length abandoned ; her 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 387 

war of liberty brought, in the estabUshment of inde- 
pendence, to that honourable conclusion for which it 
had been undertaken, the hour arrived when he was to 
resign the trust which he had accepted with diffidence* 
To a mind less pure and elevated, the situation of 
America would have furnished the pretext, as well as 
the means, of military usurpation. Talents equal to 
daring enterprise ; the derangement of public affairs ; 
unbounded popularity ; and the devotion of a suffering 
army, would have been to every other, a strong, and to 
almost any other, an irresistable temptation. In Wash- 
ington they did not produce even the pain of self-denial. 
They added the last proof of his disinterestedness ; and 
imposed on his country the last obligation to gratitude. 
Impenetrable by corrupting influence; deaf to honest 
but erring solicitation ; irreconcilable with every disloyal 
sentiment, he urged the necessity, and set the example 
of laying down, in peace, arms assumed for the common 

defence. 

« « * * * * * 

" Singular phenomenon ! Washington becomes a 
private citizen. He exchanges supreme command for the 
tranquiUity of domestic life. Go, incomparable man ! to 
adorn no less the civic virtues, than the splendid 
achievements of the field : Go, rich in the consciousness 
of thy high deserts : Go, with the admiration of the world, 
with the plaudit of millions, and the orisons of millions 
more for thy temporal and thine eternal bliss, 

" The glory of Washington seemed now complete. 
While the universal voice proclaimed, that he might 
decline, with honour, every future burden, it was a wish 
and an opinion almost as universal, that he would not 
jeopardise the fame which he had so nobly won. Had 



388 RELIGIOUS OriNIONS AND 

personal considerations swayed his mind, this would 
have been his own decision. But, untutored in the phi- 
losophy of the age, he had not learned to separate the 
maxims of wisdom from the injunctions of duty. His 
soul was not debased by that moral cowardice which 
fears to risk popularity for the general good. Having 
assisted in the formation of an efficient government, 
which he had refused to dictate or enforce at the mouth 
of his cannon, he was ready to contribute the weight of 
his character to insure its effect. And his country re- 
joiced in an opportunity of testifying, that, much as she 
loved and trusted others, she still loved and trusted him 
most. Hailed, by her unanimous suffrage, the pilot of 
the State, he approaches the awful helm, and grasping it 
with equal firmness and ease, demonstrates that forms 
of power cause no embarrassment to him. 

******* 

" The reappearance of Washington as a statesman, 
excited the conjecture of the old world, and the anxiety 
of the new. His martial fame had fixed a criterion, 
however inaccurate, of his civil administration. Mili- 
tary genius does neither confer nor imply political abiUty. 
Whatever merit may be attached to the faculty of ar- 
ranging the principles, and prosecuting the details of an 
army, it must be conceded that vaster comprehensions be- 
long to the statesman. Ignorance, vanity, the love of 
paradox, and the love of mischief, affecting to sneer at 
the ' mystery of government,' have, indeed, taught that 
common sense and common honesty are his only requi- 
sites. The nature of things and the experience of every 
people, in every age, teach a different doctrine. America 
had multitudes who possessed both those quaUties, but 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 389 

she had only one Washington. To adjust, in the 
best compromise, a thousand interfering views, so as to 
effect ttie greatest good of the whole with the least incon- 
venience to the parts ; to curb the dragon of faction by 
means which insure the safety of public hberty; to 
marshal opinion and prejudice among the auxiliaries of 
the law ; in fine, to touch the main-spring of national 
agency, so as to preserve the equipoise of its powers, and 
to make the feeblest movements of the extremities accord 
with the impulse at the centre, is only for genius of the 
highest order. To excel equally in military and politi- 
cal science, has been the praise of a few chosen spirits, 
among whom, with a proud preference, we enrol the 
Father of our Country, ^j 

" It was the fortune of Washington, to direct trans- 
actions of which the repetition is hardly within the 
limits of human possibilities. When he entered on his 
first Presidency, all the interests of the continent were 
vibrating through the arch of political uncertainty. The 
departments of the new government were to be marked 
out, and filled up : foreign relations to be regulated ; the 
physical and moral strength of the nation to be organiz- 
ed ; and that at a time, when scepticism in pohtics, no 
less than in religion and morals, was preparing, 
throughout Europe, to spring the mine of revolution and 
ruin. In discharging his first duties, that same intelli- 
gent, cautious, resolute procedure, which had rendered 
him the bulwark of war, now exhibited him, the guar- 
dian of peace. Appropriation of talent to employment, 
is one of the deep results of poHtical sagacity. And in 
his selection of men for office, Washington displayed a 
knowledge of character ^and of business, a contempt 
33* 



390 RELIGH^ OPINIONS AND 

of fiVjo\irilism^ and a devotion to the public welfare, 
which permitted the General to be rivalled only by the 
President. 

" Under such auspices, the fruit and the pledge of 
divine blessing, America rears her head, and recovers her 
vigour. Agriculture laughs on the land : Commerce 
ploughs the wave : Peace rejoices her at home ; and she 
grows into respect abroad. Ah ! too happy to progress 
without interruption. The explosions of Europe bring 
new vexations to her, and newt rials, and new glories, to 
her Washington. Yigilant and faithful, he hears the 
tempest roar from afar, warns her of its approach, and 
prepares for averting its dangers. Black are the heavens 
and angry the billows, and narrow and perilous the 
passage. But his composure, dignity, and firmness, are 
equal to the peril. Unseduced by fraud ; unterrified by 
threat ; unawed by clamour, he holds on his steady 
way, and again he saves his country. With less deci- 
sion on the part of Washington, a generous but mis- 
taken ardour would have plunged her into the whirlpool, 
and left her till this hour, the sport of the contending ele- 
ments. Americans! bow to that magnanimous policy, 
which protected your dearest interests at the hazard of 
incurring your displeasure. It was thus that Wash- 
ington proved himself, not in the cant of the day, but 
in the procurement of substantial good, the servant of the 
people." Delivered in the City of New- York, Feb. 
22, 1800 ; by Rev. John M. Masoii, A.M. 

" Who shall delineate a just portrait of that character? 
which was perfect in all its relations— or in what lan- 
guage shall the story of that life be told, whose every action 
was above all praise ? 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 391 

" To confer the just meed of eiilogium on this inestim- 
able character — to entwine the blended glories of the Hero 
and the Statesman — with them to mingle the milder 
radiance of religion and morals, would require an 
inspiration, not only of those sentiments, which pervade 
every class of men in this extensive nation, but of those 
opinions, which his unequalled worth has impressed 
throughout the world. 

'' Of legislators, to whose labours and honours he was 
associated by all that was useful and dignified. 

" Of armies, to w^hom he was endeared by every obli- 
gation of gratitude and glory. 

" Of a people, by whom he was regarded as their father, 
guide, and protector. 

^- Of the holy ministers of religion, by whom he was 
beloved and admired. 

' Of the wise and just of all nations, of whom he was 
the ornament and the example. 

'' Such was the triumph of patriotism, and such the 
dignified completion of his public character. 

'' With the accomplishments of the hero, and the attri- 
butes of the statesman, we are now to connect the interest- 
ing theme of domestic life, and the useful virtues of his 
private character. 

" Favoured of heaven, he was blest in the most en- 
deared relation of human society. The amiable, and 
much respected partner of his happiness, enjoyed his 
affection and esteem, and was wortiiy to participate the 
honours of his exalted station. 

" The practice of his filial piety, which had been dis- 
tinguished at an early age, was continued until the death 



392 RELIG^S OPINIONS ANB 

of his surviving parent, with unabated tenderness and 
respect. 

" His fraternal love vv^as exemplary, as it was sincere ; 
and the munificent provisions of his will, attest the affec 
tion, which he bore to his kindred, and the relatives of 
his family. 

" Nor was this munificence bounded by the limits of 
consanguinity. The interests of freedom and science 
were anxiously consulted and most generously advanced. 

''Age and infirmity were the objects of his kind re- 
gard. And the instruction of youth, was connected with 
the emancipation of the bondsman, as a means of pro- 
tecting his rights, and rendering him safe and useful to 
society. 

" The friend, and the stranger were received with cor- 
dial welcome at his hospitable mansion — and his bene- 
ficence to his neighbours was returned with the most af- 
fectionate attachment. 

" Such were the outlines of his domestic life." Pro- 
nounced in the City of Philadelphia. Feb. 22, 
1800, By Major William Jackson, Aid-de-camp 
to Washington. 

" The Providence of God over nations, has often been 
remarkably apparent in the characters he has prepared 
for their dehverance, their safety, and defence. The 
circumstances in which God raised up Moses, mark him 
pecuharly as his own ; and the talents wherewith he 
w^as endowed, point him out as the chosen instrument 
to deliver his ancient people fi-om Egyptian bondage. 
David was afterwards raised up for their glory ; and 
Cyrus anointed for their restoration from the Babylonish 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 393 

captivity. And is it possible not to recognize in our illus- 
trious citizen, now departed, the immediate hand of hea- 
ven? When we consider the various exigencies and 
circumstances of America, for fifty years past — hardly 
can we imagine talents more fitted to these, both in war 
and peace, than those which distinguished and adorned 
his character. 

" Such was the man, whose death we now deplore, 
that, ' take him for all in all, we ne'er shall look upon his 
like again.' He was a professor of Christianity, and a 
member of the Protestant Episcopal Church. He always 
acknowledged the superintendence of Divine Providence ; 
and from his inimitable writings, we find him a warm 
advocate for a sound morality, founded on the principles 
of religion, the only basis on which it can stand. Nor 
did 1 ever meet with the most distant insinuation, that his 
private life was not a comment on his own admired 
page. And from the equanimity, fortitude, and compo- 
sure, with which he met the stroke of death, we are led 
to the consolatory conclusion, that his faith was more 
than speculative. Delivered in Dinwiddie County, 
Virginia, By Rev. Devereux Jarratt. 

" In the private character of Washington, we find 
the delight, the ornament, the wonder of man ! Prompt 
at every call of duty, in whatever sphere or station, he 
exhibits a uniform pattern of morality, industry and 
economy. Feelingly ahve to all the tender charities of 
our nature, he always clothed the naked, and filled the 
hungry with good things. He soothed affliction, com- 
jnisserated misfortune, raised up the bowed down, dissi- 



394 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

pated the dark clouds of the disconsolate, or gilded their 
gloom with the calm sun-shine of peace. 

" Great as he was in life, he was still more sublimely 
grand and majestic in death. See him on his dying 
couch — calm and dignified in his distress, he has fought 
the good fight, and death to him has no terrors ! With 
his own firm hand he closes his eyes — and is gone ! His 
form is now no more the terror of the valiant. Dim and 
feeble is the Chief, who travelled in strength and bright- 
ness before. He rests in the dark and narrow house of 
the tomb. The feeble will find his bow at home, but 
they will not be able to bend it. Fallen is the arm of 
battle ! Deep is the sleep of the dead ; low their pillow 
of dust ; damp and cold the couch of their repose. 
When ! O ! when will it be morn in the grave, to bid the 
slumberer awake ! Farewell, thou first in every field, 
farewell ! The field shall behold thee no more ; no more 
the dark wood be lightened with the splendour of thy 
8teel. Thou hast left no son ; but the song shall pre- 
serve thy name. Future times shall hear of thee. The 
sons of Columbia shall be sad, and the tear of the young 
virgin will fall ! and well may we weep. — 

"Gluisdesiderio sit pudor, aut modus, 
" I'am cari capitis ?" 

" But, my countrymen ! while we are paying this last 
sad tribute of respect to the ashes of our dear departed 
Chief; while we entomb his relics in the earth, and 
inurn his memory in our hearts ; — let us not forget to 
emulate his virtues in our lives. The husband, the 
parent, the friend, the neighbour, the citizen, the Chris- 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 395 

tian, or the man, can never deserve higher eulogy than 
this ; — that his deportment, in his appropriate sphere, re- 
sembles that of a Washington. 

^' A friend to our holy religion, he was ever guided by 

its pious doctrines, and had embraced the tenets 'of the 
Episcopal church ; yet his charity, unbounded as his im- 
mortal mind, led him equally to respect every denomina- 
tion of the followers of Jesus. Meek and distrustful of 
himself, he was liberal and candid to others. Superior 
to the little prejudices which subsist among different sects, 
— prejudices which deform the beauty and destroy the 
harmony of the religious w^orld, he loved, and wept, and 
prayed — for all." Pronou7iced at Oxford, Mass. Jan. 
15, 1800. By J. Dunham, A.M. Captain 16th U. S. 
Regiment. 

" It w^as to be expected that a man so capable of gov- 
erning others, would be able to govern himself. We 
are told, that his passions, by nature strong and irritable, 
were brought by discipline, into complete subjection ; so 
that he, whom original constitution disposed to turbulence 
and vindictiveness, appeared the pattern of equanim- 
ity and forbearance. What modesty, joined with great- 
ness, distinguished this extraordinary man! Alive to 
character, keenly sensible to virtuous praise, the plaudits 
of a nation and a world, were yet never known to eUcit 
from him one spark of vanity, or to raise one emotion of 
pride. The virtues of our departed friend were crowned 
by piety. He is known to have been habitually devout. 
To Christian institutions he gave the countenance of 
his example ; and no one could express more fully his 
sense of the Providence of God, and the dependence of 
man. . . . When we acknowledge God in the talents. 



396 RELIGIOUS OPINIONS AND 

virtues, and services of the departed Chief, let us not 
overlook the hand of Providence in his prosperous for- 
tune, displayed in the many favourable incidents of his 
life, in the constancy of the pubUc affection and confi- 
dence, and in his death." Delivered in Boston, Dec, 
29, 1799. By Rev. J. T. Kirkland. 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 397 



CHAPTER XIX. 

THE CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 

The various sketches contained in the foregoing chap- 
ter, will enable the attentive reader to form a conception 
of the character of Washington, in the main, accurate 
and just. That a strong partiahty guided the pen of 
the writers may be readily admitted. The feeling was 
alike honourable to both the parties. It was a tribute 
justly due, and herein freely paid, to virtue seldom 
surpassed. Few persons have lived in our world, whose 
endowments of every kind were more worthy of ad- 
miration, or whose services better deserved a grateful 
remembrance, than those by which the noble subject 
of their eulogy had been distinguished and adorned. 

The mental and moral constitution of Washington 
was of the most excellent kind. He possessed faculties 
and affections in such pecuhar combination, as to place 
him almost alone in that respect. 

His mind was of the very best order. The structure 
thereof was plain, but on a scale of unusual strength 
and greatness. Its basis seems to have been strong com- 
mon sense. To this was superadded a discernment 

34 



398 RELIGl^l^ OPINIONS AND 

clear and penetrating ; a memory of great tenacity ; and 
a judgment as sound as man ever possessed. Ima- 
gination had but little place in his mind. His materials 
of thought were first truths, together with such facts 
and events in life as were worthy of attention. These 
he carefully marked and compared with one another, 
noting their relations with a cool and enlightened com- 
prehension ; viewing them in all their aspects and bear- 
ings, weighing them in the balances of the mind, till 
conducted to the safest and soundest conclusions of 
reason. 

He was alike happy in his moral constitution. Here 
the elements were mixed up in the finest and most 
admirable proportions. They were in perfect harmony 
with the higher powers of the mind. The equipoise 
was rare and excellent. From hence, in a great degree, 
arose the force and effectiveness of his intellectual efforts. 
The action of his mind encountered no hindrance from 
the waywardness of his affections, or the turbulence of 
passion. These never cast obstacles in the way of his 
judgment, or embarrassed its decisions by a conflict 
between inclination and conviction. With feelings 
unusually healthy, his understanding, ordinarily, liad free 
and unimpeded course. Unbiassed by mere emotions 
of the breast, he always regarded objects presented for 
his consideration, with a steady eye and serene contem- 
plation. No delusive vapour ascending from a selfish 
bosom, shut out from his mind the bright rays of 
truth. His perceptions were clear, because in him 
wxre united a sound head, with an honest and single 
heart. 

The moral qualities in him were mingled and held 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 399 

together in a combination so admirable, that they all 
tended with the utmost harmony to the formation of a 
character so remarkable. He united in himself affec- 
tions, dispositions and tempers, which are never looked 
for in the same person, being regarded in the light of 
antagonist and contending qualities. They are often 
found to exist separately, but not unitedly, proving in 
their ordinary operation, destructive of each other. But 
in him they appeared to exist in a concord, as com- 
plete, as it was marvellous. Each filled with energy 
its own assigned sphere, whilst the whole were promptly 
combined, when the union was necessary for the effec- 
tuation of great and important objects. 

The unequivocal developments of his character, ex- 
hibit him as possessed at the same time of such opposite 
qualities as courage and caution ; of ardour and self- 
possession ; of decision and moderation ; of self-esteem 
and humility. He had modesty without diffidence ; 
benevolence without ostentation ; humanity without 
weakness. In him frugality was unattended by par- 
simony ; temperance by austerity ; the love of praise, 
by the fear of censure. He was dignified, yet con- 
descending ; had gravity without moroseness ; serious- 
ness without gloom. Gliiick in discerning defects in 
men, he was yet kind to all ; alive to offence and 
insult, he was tolerant and ready to forgive. He was 
of incorruptible integrity ; had the highest and purest 
sense of justice; his truthfulness was rigid; and his 
faithfulness to principles and engagements, unwavering* 
He loved peace, yet was ready for war, when duty 
called. He was patriotic without ambition ; industrious 
without covetousness. He was affectionate to his family 



400 



EELIGll^S OPINIONS AND 



and kindred ; kind to his neighbours; obhging to friends ; 
courteous to associates ; compassionate to servants, and 
merciful to animals. By nature he had an excitable 
temper, and a mind subject at times to fierce illapses of 
passion. When the severity of the trials to which his 
patience was often exposed, is considered, the wonder 
is, not that he should have been sometimes carried away by 
them, but that he should have so frequently resisted them 
with success. Under man}^ and great provocations, he was 
usually calm, calling in to his aid that self-command, 
of which experience had taught him the necessity, and 
conscience the propriety. Few persons so constituted 
as he was in this respect, have done themselves, or 
others, so little injury thereby.* 

The personal and domestic habits of this remarkable 
man, were in perfect keeping with the rest of his life. 
In them is seen the same fixed and settled principles of 
conduct, which governed him in the higher spheres of 
action. So happily do they accord with the more public 
and prominent displays of his character; that they serve 
to present him to the view, 

"Full orbed, in his whole round of rays complete." 

He usually arose from his bed at 4 o'clock in the morn- 

* The following occurrence will serve to furnish an example of 
his habitual self-command. — Returning to his house one day, from a 
ride over his farm, on arriving at the yard-gate, he found his overseer 
in the act of chastising severely one of his servants. Indignant at the 
sight, as being in the mode or degree contrary to his orders, he dis- 
mounted hastily, and advancing towards the overseer with his horse- 
whip in his hand, the affrighted man retreated towards the fence, 
exclaiming, "Remember your character, General; remember your cha- 
racter." The General immediately stopped, and reprimanding him 
for disobeying his commands, admonished him to beware of again 
correcting his people in a manner so cruel. 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 401 

in^. summer and winter. From the chamber he went 
to his stud}^, with a candle in his hand, remaining- there 
a longer or shorter time, according to the season As to 
his employment there, no room for doubt exists. It 
was certainly his titne for devotional exercises. The 
weather permitting, he rode out daily upon his farm, 
mspecting the agricultural operations of his managers 
and servants. When enaged at home he never suffered 
himself to be interrupted by visitors, except on very 
special occasions. But his business being over, he gave 
himself with cheerfulness to their society. 

In his enjoyments, he was very temperate. His 
breakfast usually consisted of two or three small hoe 
cakes, with honey ; and as many cups of tea. He 
generally dined on a single dish, drinking after dinner 
seldom more than tw^o glasses of wine, and finishing the 
repast with a few nuts, of which he was especia.lly fond. 
Business again employed him in the afternoon. He 
drank his favourite beverage, tea, before sun-down, 
spent the evening with his family, and retired uniformly 
w^hen he had no company, to his study at nine o'clock. 
There he usually spent an hour before retiring to rest. 

Mrs. Washington sometimes went into his study 
during the day, when he was there. He would then lay 
down his book or his pen, and well-pleased, yield him- 
self to the charm of her pleasantry, or to any commu- 
nications of business, until she thought proper to leave 
him. 

On Sunday mornings, as the hour for church ap- 
proached, he was accustomed to go into his wife's cham- 
ber, and sit there till she was ready to go. 

34* 



402 RELIGIO^ OPINIONS AND 

He was habitually grave and silent. He seldom 
laughed — never aloud. When he observed a disposition 
in any one to excite him by jokes or humorous stories, he 
was immovable, except in very select circles. 

He was habitually neat in his dress, but plain. He 
seldom used ardent spirit. He never used tobacco in 
any shape, always expressing a great averson to it. 

He was kind and considerate to his servants. Nor 
was he neglectful of his cattle, being always careful to 
provide for the best shelter, and abundance of food. 

He was pleased with an opportunity of joining with 
children in their innocent games. This he did, some- 
times, when through awe of him, the little folks were ill 
at ease.* 

An interesting question here occurs, and in a work 
like this confessedly demands, a fair and impartial inves- 
tigation. Whilst acknowledging the rare endowments 
and excellent virtues of this eminent man, there will, 
and ought to be, an inquiry respecting the source of 
those singular virtues which appeared in him, adorning 
his life with a lustre so unusual. Whence, then, did his 
many virtues proceed ? Had they their origin in the 
unassisted powers of nature, or in the higher energies of 

* His fondness for clu'dren was a marked peculiarity in him. The 
writer once heard an old gentleman mention the following simple in- 
stance thereof. In the year 1794, when the troops were about to march 
from Carlislf;, Pa. against the western insurgents, he was one morning 
about to review them in the streets of that town. As he passed along 
on foot, amidst the busy hum of preparation, he rnet with a squad of 
little boys huddling together, and waiting anxiously for the pnrade. 
Conceivinfj them to be in danger where they stood, he stopped amongst 
them, and patting one or two of ihcm on the head, he told them to go 
to their homes, or they would be run over by the horses. 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON-. 403 

divine grace ? He was blessed beyond a doubt with 
eminent advantages by nature. But can so many sig- 
nal excellencies of character be referred solely to that 
barren and unkindly source ? Does human nature, pro- 
fessedly rejecting superior aid, ever exhibit such singular 
traits of goodness ? We believe that it does not. The 
concession would be utterly at variance with the doctrine 
of man's acknowledged state as a fallen creature, sinful 
and depraved in all liis powers and affections. 

To suppose that such qualities spring from the unaided 
sufficiency of human nature, is to contradict the testi- 
mony of experience, as well as of the word of God* 
Their existence implies a strength of principle and power 
of self-control, which never have been displayed in the 
history of mankind, except as fruits of the Divine Agency 
on the soul. And it is certain that the inspired Volume 
ever refers such results in the human character to the 
power of Him " from whom every good gift and every 
perfect gift descends." A corresponding view is afforded 
by the biographer of that valiant soldier of the cross, 
Henry Martyn, when he says in reference to the virtues 
of that holy man, — " As these extraordinary and seem- 
ingly contradictory c|ualities, were not imparted to him, 
but by the Spirit of God, so they were not strengthened 
and matured but in the diligent use of the ordinary means 
of grace. Prayer and the Holy Scriptures were those 
wells of salvation out of which he drew daily the living 

water The Sabbath, also, that sacred portion of 

lime set apart for holy purposes in Paradise itself, was so 
employed by him, as to prove frequently a Paradise to 
his soul on earth, and as certainly prepared him for an 
endless state of spiritual enjoyment hereafter." The 



404 RELIGlPtS OPINIONS AND 

peculiar and excellent virtues distinguishing this favoured 
servant of God, could not he ascribed to any other source, 
than the grace of the Holy Spirit -grace now freely be- 
stowed on him, and then in new and fresh supplies, as 
he abounded in the use of the appointed means. Whilst 
there was also in the illustrious subject of these pages, 
qualities which may well be styled " extraordinary and 
seemingly contradictory," the presumption as to a com- 
mon source in both cases, is upheld by the fact of their 
concurrence in the use of the same gracious appoint- 
ments. Of Washington, the known habits of his life 
justify us in saying, that — " Prayer and the Holy 
Scriptures were those wells of salvation, out of which he 
drew, daily, the living water." Nothing is better ascer- 
tained than the reality of his devotional feelings and 
habits. His uniform practice of private prayer, may be 
traced from an early period of his life, down to the close 
thereof. With the Holy Scriptures too, did he cultivate a 
sacred intimacy. The Bible which he owned and used, is 
now in the library of Mount Vernon, having his name 
Avritten therein by himself Survivors have said that he 
diligently searched the Holy Volume. Nor did he fail 
in a proper respect for the Lord s Day ; " that sacred por- 
tion of time set apart for holy purposes in Paradise itself." 
He was always a strict observer of the Sabbath. It is 
not known that he ever wantonly violated it in a single 
instance. In no one duty of his life, can a more fixed 
purpose of obedience be traced than in reference to this 
obligation. 

Thus distinguished by many rare traits of exellence, 
and professedly regarding religion as the means of virtue 
and ground of hope to man, is there not good reason 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 405 

for ascribing the singular graces wiiicli adorned him, 
to that Divine Source, pointed out by the word of God, 
and rehed on by good men in every age. 

'• Tliere is the best ground for beUeving, that his reU- 
gious creed was in accordance v»dth that of the universal 
church of God. In his letter to the State Governours, 
before quoted by us, he expressly, though incidentally, 
declared his faith in Christ, as a Divine Person. He 
there styles him the ' Divine Author of our blessed reli- 
gion.' In this single tenet we have an important key to 
his general views of evangelical truth. The Doctrine of 
a Divine nature in Christ, involves the belief of his pre- 
existence, of his incarnation, of his sacrifice, of the de- 
scent of the Holy Ghost — as of the fall, corruption and 
helpless state of man, together with the means of his restor- 
ation, by repentance towards God and faith in Jesus 
Christ as the Saviour of men. Where the Divinity of 
the Son of God was an acknowledged principle of the 
creed, it is hard to conceive how its cognate and corre- 
lative truths could have been denied their proper place 
in the system. That Washington did not indulge the 
habit af talking or writing muc hon religious subjects, is 
well known ; and therefore, we do not readily find any 
very minute account of his faith. In his peculiar situa- 
tion, as the man of the nation, he was contented to 
avow his belief in the main truths of Revelation, and 
leave others to conclude in favour of his acquiescence 
in the rest. He gave also one other evidence of his 
orthodoxy, which must be regarded as of pecuhar weight 
by those who understand correctly the lav/s of his char- 
acter. This proof is supplied by the fact of his long 
and punctual attendance on the public worship of a 



406 KELIGIC^ OPINIONS AND 

Church, whose offices and devotional services abound 
in the most ample and explicit references to evangelical 
principles and doctrines. All the cardinal truths of the 
gospel have so marked and prominent a place in the 
formularies of that Church, as to have gained for her 
an honourable distinction, on that very ground, among 
the other religious denominations of Protestant Christen • 
dom. On the public ministrations of this Church, 
did the Father of his Country attend through life, with a 
conscientious punctuality and reverence. And did he 
thus act without meaning, thought, or design ? Did 
he cherish no religious or devotional feeling in going to 
the House of God ? Did he do so. without a due under- 
standing, and full comprehension of the particular truths 
and doctrines there recognized and inculcated ? Would 
he have been thus uniform and persevering in his atten 
dance on a worship, which was not understood, and 
with which he felt no sympathy l Much more may it 
be asked, if he would have been thus constant in attend- 
ing on services which he not only did not approve, but 
which, if objected to at all by him, must have been so on 
the most serious grounds ? For in an upright mind 
there can be no neutrality respecting the fundamental 
verities of Christianity. Such a person must either ap- 
prove them as true, or he must reject them as false. If 
they are false, he is in honour bound to refuse them ; 
whilst on the other hand, if they are true, he is equally 
bound to receive them with humility and reverence. 
And were they not so received in the case now under 
consideration 7 Did they not receive his solemn sub- 
scrip tion and assent, when he gave his countejiance to 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON. 407 

public, prescribed services, with which these truths were 
mixed up and incorporated throughout. 

Notwithstanding these strong, and as we must think, 
satisfactory indications of a mind divinely taught and 
guided, it is proper that we should here guard against 
exaggerated, and unsuitable inferences, respecting the 
degree of estimation in which we would have the reli- 
gious character of Washington, held. It is not meant, 
by any thing we have said, to imply the entire per- 
fection of his Christian character, or to set him up as a 
pure model of Christian piety. 

This is an honour which belongs only to a chosen 
few of our race. Whilst we are not assured of the 
existence of any principle or habit in him, affecting his 
title to the name of a real Christian, we do not contend 
that his spiritual attainments were of the highest order, 
or that he, of necessity, excelled as much here, as he 
did in the other departments of life. Without in- 
tending to imply any singular defect, or thinking that 
there was in him that which requires a special apology, 
it may be said that few men have been placed in cir- 
cumstances more unfriendly to the cultivation of Chris- 
tian virtues — circumstances which, duly considered, will 
render it more a matter of wonder that he should have 
been what he was, rather than that he should fail 
to be what he w^as not. Much of his life was spent 
amidst the confusion of camps and the contentions of 
cabinets. He was, early in hfe, thrown upon his own 
resources, and usually surrounded by persons having 
little regard for religion, and indeed hostile to it, as an 
intruder on their beloved pleasures and chosen occupa- 
tions. And we are constrained to add that the Church 



408 RELIGgHlS OPINIONS AND 

herself, did not in every instance then impart that effec- 
tual aid to her members, which the most pious and 
established of them find necessary in every age, to their 
spiritual comfort and edification. The day in which he 
lived was a dark one, religiously regarded ; and by no 
means distinguished for such public ministrations as 
prove most powerful to purify the heart and reform the 
life. To these unfavourable accidents, should be added 
the consideration of the • closing years of his life being 
spent in the midst of a triumphant and reigning infidel- 
ity. The French revolution had foamed out from its 
boiling abysses, this, among other foul and wicked 
spirits. With a seducing aspect, the demon carried in 
its principles the fatal seed of crimes and miseries. Mul- 
titudes however were charmed with its beautiful exte- 
rior. It was held to be the offspring of Philosophy and 
hand-maid of Liberty. Whoever then would be wise and 
free, must, in order to the end, eat the fruit of this tree 
of knowledge. Many of the great and lettered in Ame- 
ica, had embraced its doctrines, and were loud in pro- 
claiming its excellence. Yain and deluded, they thought 
the entertainment of its dogmas, essential as the proof 
of genius, as well as of patriotism —that none but free- 
thinkers in religion, could be wise or patriotic. 

Amidst all these disadvantages assailing him from op- 
posite and discordant points, Washington was sound in 
faith and upright in his course. However discouraged 
by foes or unaided by friends, he was still the same ; 
fixed in his principles and uniform in their expression. 
And so far was he from yielding to the sophistry of 
the infidel philosophy referred to, or fearing the ridicule 
which attended the profession of a contrary faith, that 



CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON, 409 

he never was more decided or unequivocal in his pubhc 
declarations of belief and confidence in Christianity, 
than when the evil was at its greatest height. It was 
at this very period he gave to his views, that distinct and 
audible utterance contained in his " Farewell Address," 
solemnly recording, in the face of the world, his profound 
conviction of the necessity of religion, and the dangerous 
tendency of infidelity. To what but a deep-rooted per- 
suasion of the divine source of Christianity, and to prin- 
ciples derived from its sacred influences, can we ascribe 
so much unwavering consistency in word and deed, 
amidst circumstances so calculated to shake the firmest 
mind. The gallarft ship must be fast-anchored, indeed, 
when even the raging tempest cannot swing her from 
her moorings, or drive her from the course leading to the 
haven where she would be. 

Without insisting then on the claims of Washington to 
an unusual piety, we may still hold him up as one who 
sincerely believed in the truth of Revelation, and bore a 
practical testimony to its necessity and value. If this 
end is gained, our chief object has been secured. It was 
not to exalt the individual by displaying his religious ex- 
cellence, that the writer addressed himself to a labour 
now drawing to a close. The desii-e, indeed, was not 
absent, of adding to his well-earned wreath of worldly 
fame, the imperishable diadem of religion, sparkling with 
gems of purest lustre ; but the honour of the Saviour and 
the glory of his kingdom are dearer objects still. Now, 
as of old, let the offerings of the wise men and the great 
be brought to him, and their costly treasures spread at 
his feet. If he does not need their gifts he will yet kind- 
ly receive them, and honour those who thus honour 

35 



410 RELIGimJS OPINIONS, ETC. 

him. In the light of his favour they shall shine with 
no earthly splendour, but share a deathless fame never 
known to such, however exalted for a season, as lightly 
esteem and dishonour him by a denial of his glory, and 
disobedience of his laws. These often shine with the 
brilliancy of a blazing meteor — astonishing and delight- 
ing the world for a season with their brightness ; but they 
soon go out, and leave a darker night behind them. In 
their corruptions and vices were mingled the fatal ele- 
ments of decay ; and a speedier or later overthrow is the 
sure, the inevitable result of causes thus inseparably blend- 
ed with the moral constitution of man. 

m 

" Not so, when diadem'd with rays divine, 

Touch'd with the flame that breaks from virtue's shrine, 

Her priestless muse forbids the good to die, 

And opes the temple of eternity." 

In a prevailing reverence for virtue among men, a uni- 
versal respect is secured to the righteous, and the superad- 
ded favour of God, makes their memory to flourish late, 
and unborn generations to rise up and call them blessed. 
Here have we, it is conceived, the secret of his towering 
renown, whose piety and virtues we^ record ; and in seek- 
ing to perpetuate and exalt whose fame, by weaving 
around his brow the unfading crown of genuine religion, 
we are but adding another star to the radiant crown of 
the Redeemer, reflecting another brilliant beam upon the 
glory of God, to mingle with the fountain, and enhance 
its immortal splendour. 



APPE NDIX. 



Although the author considers it certain that Wash- 
ington did partake of the Lords Supper, at certain periods 
of his Ufe, yet he knows that many desire satisfactory 
information and assurance on this point. 

Among the aged persons residing in the neighbourhood 
of Mount Vernon, and the descendants of such others as 
have recently gone down to the grave, there is but one 
opinion in regard to the'fact of his having been a commu- 
nicant in Pohick Church, previous to the revolutionary 
war. The writer himself had it from a respectable lady, 
that she once heard her mother unquaUfiedly declare, 
that General Washington was a communicant in that 
Chmch, in the vicinity of which she had her residence, 
and on the services of which she attended. A living 
grand-daughter of the Rev. Lee Massey, rector of Mount 
Vernon Parish, for some years after Washington's mar- 
riage — says, her grandfather on a specified occasion, told 
her the same thing in answer to a particular inquiry on 
the subject. 

That he partook of the communion at Morristown, 
N. Jersey, during the encampment of the army there, in 
1780, has long been an accredited tradition. Some 
few, indeed, have been doubtful, but it would seem with- 
out any good ground. That the account as generally 



412 ^PPENDIX. 

stated, is in the main correct, let the following communi- 
cations attest. They were written in answer to letters 
requesting information on the point to which they refer. 
The high respectability of the writers, will gain for their 
testimony, the utmost confidence of those who know 
them. 

<' MoRRisTowN. March 26, 1836. 

" Rev. and dear Sir, 

" Yours was duly received, and ought perhaps to have 
been sooner answered ; but I have delayed a little hop- 
ing to make my statements the stronger by additional 
testimony. 

'' I do not learn that any living witness to the fact in 
question can be found in this vicinity, though it is believed 
there are such. I have called on Mr. Wm. Johnes, a son 
of the Rev. Dr. Johnes, to whom you refer. By reason of 
his great age, he can say nothing upon the subject, but 
Mrs. Johnes, who is much younger, gives it as an un- 
questioned family traditon, that General Washington 
wrote the note in question, and partook of the sacrament 
as it has been commonly reported. Mrs. Johnes refers 
directly to her father-in-law, the Rev. Dr. Johnes. The 
family are still in possession of the orchard, and point 
out the very tree under which the sacrament was then 
administered, the church being at that time occupied as 
a hospital. The fact in question is regarded as certain 
by the older residents of the place, beyond all room for 
doubt. 

"It is thought by some, that the Rev. Dr. Richards, of 
Auburn Theological Seminaiy, New- York, is in possess- 



APPENDIX. 413 

ion of the very note, written by General Washington to 
Dr. Johnes, relative to his admission to the communion. 
" Respectfully, Sir, I am truly yours, 

«'ASA S. COLTON." 

The following is from Dr. Richards, the gentleman 
referred to in the foregoing letter : 

" Auburn, 14th April, 1836. 
" Dear Sir, 

" Yours of the 5th has just been received. I can only 
say in reply, that I never saw the note to which you 
allude, — but have no doubt that such a note was address- 
ed by Washington to Dr. Johnes, of Morristown, on the 
occasion to which you refer. I became a resident in 
that town in the summer of 1794, while Dr. Johnes was 
still living — and was afterwards the regular pastor of 
that congregation for about fourteen years. The report 
that Washington did actually receive the communion 
from the hands of Dr. Johnes, was universally current 
during that period, and so far as I know, never contra- 
dieted. I have often heard it from the members of Dr. 
Johnes' family, while they added that a note was address- 
ed by Washington to their father, requesting the privi- 
lege, and stating that though connected with the Epis- 
copal Church, he felt a freedom and desire to commune 
with those of another name, if acceptable to them. Yery 
often too have 1 heard this circumstance spoken of as 
evidence of that great man's liberality, as well as piety. 

" There were hundreds at Morristown during the time 
of which I speak, who might if the fact of Washington's 
receiving the communion there be true, have witnessed 
that fact — and w^ho w^ould not be slow to contradict it, 
on the supposition that it had not been witnessed by them 



414 APPENDIX. 

or their friends. It is barely possible, that such a report 
might be put in circulation through error or mistake, and 
afterwards gain credit by time ; but in my judgment 
in no degree probable, when all the circumstances of the 
case are duly considered. The family of Dr. Johnes, 
sons and daughters, were of mature age, and some of 
them active members of society, when this note is said 
to have been written, and the fact to which it related 
took place. It is scarcely possible that they should have 
been deceived ; and their characters are too well known 
to suppose them willing to deceive others. 

" Very respectfully yours, 

" James Richards." 
The following extract is from a volume of sermons 
recently published by Dr. Chapman, of Portland, Maine. 
It is here added, because of the authenticity and conclu- 
siveness of the testimony furnished by it, on the subject 
before us. 

" He (George Washington,) lived at a period when 
there were less verbal pretensions on the subject of religion, 
than have become exceeding fashionable in modern times, 
and the consequence is, that in his Hfe, we have more of 
the substance than the parade of piety. Still he was an 
open and avowed follower of the Lord of glory. From 
the hps of a lady of undoubted veracity, yet hving, and 
a worthy communicant of the Church, I received the 
interesting fact, that soon after the close of the levolu- 
tionary war, she saio him partake of the consecrated 
symbols of the body and blood of Christ, in Trinity 
Church, in the city of New- York." 

THE END. 



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